The Shadow
by Miara Rigawa
Summary: AU. Kikyou gives Inuyasha the task to protect Kagome, a miko that looks like her. Inuyasha is determined to keep his relationship with Kagome plain business and keeps pushing her away. Can Kagome change his mind or will she forever be Kikyou's shadow?
1. Unwanted Fate and Task

A/N: Yay! I'm back again! I dumped the idea of taking a break in writing fanfics… Inuyasha is too tempting to write. So this is my first AU fic, be nice. –smiles- As usual, this is definitely Inu/Kag with hints of Mir/San on the sides. Kikyou is a lot nicer in this fanfic, to compensate with her character in my other fanfic, Stay… Hope you enjoy reading!

x

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Inuyasha. –sigh- I still need more money to buy him… yeah, right…

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 1

**_Unwanted Fate and Task _**

x

x

x

x

x

"You're what?.!"

Kikyou didn't lift her head to look at Inuyasha but instead, continued to rummage her files for a certain folder. "I said I'm giving you another case." She told him calmly.

Inuyasha glared at the black-haired girl who stood just in front of him. "I thought you were giving me a break with this protection shit?.!" He asked, slamming a fist on the surface of the table. "Do you know how much you're paying me for the job?.!" He added.

She turned slowly, pulled out the chair and sat on it gracefully. "I'm paying you adequately, Inuyasha." She replied, looking like she was talking to a little kid to make him understand something.

Her face was always relaxed, Inuyasha had never seen Kikyou Hijima, leader and owner of Solferis, get angry even though he was shouting at her deliberately. That was one of the things that made her mysterious and interesting to him. Pushing his thoughts aside, he continued the war. "Enough, my ass!" He scoffed. "I'm being underpaid here!"

"No, you're not." She glared at him.

"Yes, I am." He leaned on the table to return the glare—ten times greater.

_Knock! Knock! _

"Move." Kikyou muttered, her eyes connected with Inuyasha.

Inuyasha smirked but didn't move. "I don't feel like moving." He said.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! _

"Are you trying me?"

_'No,' _Inuyasha thought at the back of his mind. _'More like I'm seducing you.' _He just shrugged at her, still wearing that smug smirk on his lips.

"Move, Agent Inuyasha Tsuzuki, or I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face _and _move you myself." Kikyou warned, her solid brown eyes promised Inuyasha that he would be maimed terribly if he didn't follow her order.

Holding her gaze for a few more seconds, he finally gave up. "Keh! As always, you get what you want!" He pouted and roughly dropped to the chair nearest to Kikyou's table.

Kikyou gave Inuyasha one last look that could be translated as 'Behave.' and looked at the door. "Come in." She said.

"Finally you let me in!" A young man that was about eighteen or nineteen, another Solferis agent, came in, carrying a stack of folders. "Actually, you guys should have posted a sign outside that says 'No Visitors For Now. Quite Busy.' if you didn't want any interruptions." He smiled knowingly at Inuyasha and Kikyou as he walked towards Kikyou's table.

"Cut the crap and give me the files, Miroku." Kikyou sighed exasperatedly.

"Inuyasha is being a jerk as usual?" Miroku guessed, judging the thin line on Kikyou's lips and Inuyasha's pout. He placed the pile of folders on the smooth table and sat on the chair opposite Inuyasha's.

"Yeah, pretty much." Kikyou agreed and went to check on some of the files Miroku brought in.

"And she's being bossy as usual." Inuyasha added, sulking even more and placing his chin on top of his palm.

"You mean she gave you another mission?" Miroku said in disbelief, looking at Inuyasha sympathetically. "So what happens to the American miko you were guarding before?" He looked at Inuyasha curiously. "Don't tell me Hell's Gate got her?.! You just had that case for a week!"

"Of course not! She was my first case and you expect me to blow it up?.! No way!" Inuyasha Tsuzuki was one of the top agents in Solferis and therefore, he had a reputation to keep. He never failed any mission—whether that was recovering an important document, recapturing a hostage, assisting a fellow agent or protecting a miko. Never.

Kikyou closed the folder she was reading and looked at Miroku. "Inuyasha didn't fail the job, the girl's father didn't want Inuyasha doing the job." She explained.

"Keh! Good! I didn't want to hang around with his daughter anyway." Inuyasha sneered, folding his arms arrogantly in front of him.

"Why didn't he want Inuyasha in the job? Didn't you mention to him that Inuyasha is one of our top agents and he is the most competent candidate for the task?" Miroku couldn't believe that Inuyasha was actually taken out of his first protection case.

"Keh! I'm sure it's all about my age! Old people always assume that older people are better." He shook his head in disapproval. "Or maybe he doesn't want a hanyou protecting his beloved daughter." He was used to that treatment. Many people thought of him as a worthless weak bastard but he didn't care. It was their loss not his. He knew better than those fools.

"Probably a little of both," said Kikyou, shrugging. But deep inside, her heart somewhat felt pity for Inuyasha. He didn't deserve such sufferings. "Anyway, it's their choice and we have to comply—"

"Comply!" Inuyasha argued, eyes burning with rage. "Why do we have to comply?.! We're practically saving them and they don't pay a single yen for our services!"

"Inuyasha, that is the rule in this organization and you know it. We do not work here to get money." Kikyou said, taking hold of a pen and writing down something on a piece of paper. "Besides, I'm paying you, right?"

"Keh! Whatever."

Kikyou sighed and pulled out the black folder she had been looking for a while ago. "With that aside, here's your new case." She handed the folder to Inuyasha but Inuyasha simply looked at it, not making any move to get it from her. "Well?" She said.

"Well what?" Inuyasha said, looking back to her face. "I told you I'm not taking another case—well, not yet. I need a break!" He glanced at the folder then said, "Give that case to someone else."

"But you're the only one fit for this job! You're the youngest available at the moment!" Kikyou said, trying to convince Inuyasha. She needed to persuade Inuyasha in this one. This girl was very important. _'She'll be of great use to Hell's Gate if they get her.'_ She thought.

"If you need someone young, why don't you put Miroku on the case? He's only eighteen after all." Inuyasha reasoned out even though he knew what Kikyou was going to say about it. What could he do? He _really_ didn't want to work at the moment.

Kikyou raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. "Put Miroku on the case? Are you crazy? He'll be out of the job before he can even start it! You know how his hands move when they see someone of the opposite sex."

"Hey! You're exaggerating things! I don't do that to _everyone_ in the opposite sex!" Miroku said, looking offended by her words. "I don't do it to you!" He added defensively.

_'Well for good reasons,' _thought Inuyasha, mentally smirking. _'You know I'll kill you when you do that to Kikyou.' _

"Of course you don't," said Kikyou with a confident smile. "You know I'll kill you when you do that. And I forgot, of course you spare the women old enough to be your grandmother from your lecherous hands."

Miroku sighed. "Okay, I lose." He said, raising both hands in surrender and standing up. "I'll leave the two of you to discuss matters."

"Before you go, take this." Kikyou handed him the paper she had been writing on and a blue folder. "Give this to Myouga, he'll be in charge of Mayuki Kido from now on." She said.

Miroku took them and patted Inuyasha's shoulder lightly. "Inuyasha, you won't win against her, I'm telling you."

"Thanks for the encouragement," said Inuyasha dryly, looking peeved at Miroku.

"No problem!" He answered, loving the way Inuyasha looked. Now he wondered what would Inuyasha's next case look like…

Kikyou returned her gaze to Inuyasha after Miroku had gone. "Inuyasha, come on. You have to take this case." She was looking at him expectantly.

"What if I don't?" Inuyasha asked, challenging Kikyou with his words.

"You really don't want the case, do you?" She said, looking back at him seriously.

"Of course not! Seriously, I'm _dying_ to have it!" He replied with full sarcasm.

"If you're not taking it," She paused, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm going to fire you." She said solemnly.

Those magic words always worked with Inuyasha. Of course he didn't want to be fired. Not that he loved doing his job, that wasn't it. It was because of Kikyou. If Kikyou fired him, he wouldn't be able see her again. He didn't know how everything started. The first time he entered Solferis, he wasn't really interested in her but then, all of a sudden she became closer to him. The next thing he knew was that he already liked Kikyou—only thing was, she didn't seem to notice him.

Inuyasha sighed as he ran his clawed hand over his silvery white hair. "Why do you always get what you want?" He muttered, grabbing the folder she was offering to him.

"Maybe because I'm the boss here and you're my agent?" Kikyou said, smiling a little. She knew Inuyasha wouldn't turn her down.

Inuyasha looked up to her and made sure his eyes were connected with hers. "No… it's not that…"

"Why don't you just open the folder and read about your new case?" She immediately changed the course of their conversation. It was always like that when Inuyasha was about to say something to Kikyou. Kikyou never paid attention to him—or didn't want to pay attention to him.

Inuyasha sighed but looked down at the folder he was holding. He was about to open it when he looked back at Kikyou and said, "How about that wolf, Kouga? He can take the job." Kouga was his rival in Solferis but he was willing to give the job to him just so he could take a break.

Kikyou's brown eyes narrowed at Inuyasha. "He has his own charge, Inuyasha." She answered impassively.

"How about Ginta?"

"Not available."

"Hiro?"

"No."

"Um, Miyu?"

"She's still out doing her mission."

"So there's no one left?" He said gloomily, ears drooping miserably.

"Yeah, no one but _you_." Kikyou told him, putting her hands together on top of her desk.

"Fine," said Inuyasha, finally opening the black folder. His eyes widened for a moment at the sight of the picture of his new charge. "Do you want to get rid of me that bad?" He asked, growling, as he glared at Kikyou.

Kikyou looked at Inuyasha with confusion on her face. "What are you talking about?" She asked him.

Inuyasha took the picture from the folder and placed it on the table. "I'm talking about her!" He said, standing up from his chair and pointing a finger to the picture.

Kikyou knew why Inuyasha was angry but she didn't think he would be _that _angry. She glanced at the picture then back to Inuyasha's stormy amber eyes. "It isn't my fault that she looks like me." She said softly.

"Then why give her to me?.!" He demanded. _'Do you hate me? Don't you want me near you? Tell me, Kikyou!' _His mind was full of questions but his mouth didn't know how to form the words to deliver them.

"She needs you, Inuyasha. Hell's Gate will be after her too…" She started.

"I don't fucking care about her! Why do you keep pushing me away?" His eyes showed pain and Kikyou could clearly see that.

"I'm not pushing you away." She said sincerely, hoping that Inuyasha would stop thinking that way. "It's just that… we have a mission to protect all mikos… You have to protect her, Inuyasha… It's your duty as an agent of Solferis."

Inuyasha's heart calmed when Kikyou said that she wasn't pushing him away. Somehow, he felt she was telling him the truth. He looked again at the picture. Same brown eyes. Same black hair although Kikyou's hair was much longer and straighter. Same nose. Same lips. If he didn't know Kikyou, he would have said that they were twins. He shifted his eyes to her and sighed. "She's still not you…" He said, hoping that Kikyou understood the meaning of those words.

"I know…" She said, smiling softly at Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't know but he was one of the few people who could make Kikyou Hijima smile. "I'm not telling you to see her as me." She added.

"Good." Inuyasha took the picture and returned it inside the folder. _'I don't plan to see her that way too.' _He thought to himself. "When will I start?" He asked her.

"Tomorrow. I'm going to arrange things so you can study at her school." Kikyou told him.

"Okay," replied Inuyasha. "I'll be here at around six in the morning."

"That will be perfect."

Inuyasha turned his back and started to leave when Kikyou called him again. He stopped on his tracks and looked over his shoulder, waiting for what Kikyou had to say.

"Be nice to her, Inuyasha." She said.

"Keh! Why the hell do I need to do that?.!" Inuyasha asked.

"Because you've got to earn her trust!" She answered.

"I don't need her trust! I just have to make sure she doesn't fall into the hands of Hell's Gate, that's all!" He said and continued to walk towards the door.

"Inuyasha!"

"This is pure business, Kikyou. Trust is not needed." He said before closing the door behind him. He opened the folder again and took a quick scan at the miko's profile.

_Name: Kagome Higurashi _

_Birthdate: September 8, 1988 _

_Age: 16 years old _

_Home Address: Higurashi Shrine 2145 Kumikoro Street, Tokyo, Japan _

_School: Takedo High School _

_Blood type: O _

For the first time, Inuyasha was glad to have this new case. _'At least, I'll still be staying in Japan this time…' _He thought and went home to his apartment. He needed a good rest, he would be having a terrible day ahead of him. He knew it was coming.

x

"Wow… She does look so much like Kikyou." Miroku observed, looking at the miko's picture while Inuyasha read more about his charge.

"I know that already!" Inuyasha whined, unable to focus on what he was reading. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?.!"

"Obviously, I'm waiting for Kikyou." He answered, still holding the miko's picture. "I can't believe there's a miko at the age of sixteen. She's the youngest I've seen so far. Miko auras are supposed to be developed at the age of around nineteen to twenty. Weird, huh?" He glanced at Inuyasha who was still busy finishing his reading.

"Yeah, very weird." He muttered, eyes not straying from the paper.

"She's just two years younger than Kikyou." He continued, putting the picture down on the table. "You know, you can just forget about Kikyou and go for this girl. After all, they look so much alike."

Inuyasha had gotten more than enough. He clenched his fist and sent it crashing down the nearest object he could smash—the expensive desk that Kikyou had bought from Paris. "You know I hate it when people tell me what to do so don't do it." He growled, glaring at him threateningly.

The door suddenly opened and revealed Kikyou, dressed in her favorite formal red business suit. "I think you can continue the fight after we finish business. I don't want any blood in my office." She said, marching towards her chair. "Now, let's start." She looked at the large damage on her table then looked at Inuyasha. "You're going to be studying at Takedo High School from now on. Uniforms and other school things will be given to you later by Yura. You'll also get the things you'll be needing like weapons and communication devices from her. Same procedures will apply, you can't reveal too much information except to your charge. You'll be living in her house and you are also the one to tell her family about the situation. You are to report to me every six hours at the maximum. From now on, you'll be around Kagome Higurashi twenty-four seven. Understood?"

Inuyasha gave a nod.

"No questions?" Kikyou asked.

"What's Miroku doing here?" Inuyasha asked, pointing to Miroku with an irked expression on his face.

"Since you insist that Miroku should be put in the job, I'm making him your assistant. However, he's just going to go to school and other places. He's not going to live with the Higurashis." She explained to Inuyasha. "I don't want the girl traumatized to go to sleep with Miroku lurking in her house."

"It's not like I'm going to sneak on her bed!" Miroku defended himself.

Silence. Inuyasha was staring at him with an arched eyebrow and Kikyou had rolled her eyes.

Miroku sighed. Why was he always treated that way? "Anyway, let's get going Inuyasha. We'll be late for school." He stood up and headed for the exit.

Inuyasha also rose from his chair and mumbled to himself, "Great. Now I have two charges: a lecherous jerk and an annoying miko. This is going to be one hell of a mission…" He placed his forehead on his hand and massaged it lightly. He was sure to have a headache very soon…

x

"I'm leaving!" Kagome called out as she closed the door. It was a bright Monday morning and she was feeling great. She smiled brightly as she walked her way towards Takedo High School. She could feel it, something good was about to happen to her that day.

_'Maybe I'll get a perfect score in Math today!' _She thought happily to herself. _'Or maybe I'll be able to meet the guy of my dreams!' _She blushed lightly at the thought. _'Whatever it is, I'm sure I'm going to be happy today!' _

x

Kagome entered the familiar classroom and sat on her chair, which was near to the window. Her classroom was situated at the third floor of the building so she could see a lot of view through the window. She always looked at the window when her classes began to bore her.

"Good morning, Kagome!"

She looked beside her and found out that Sango, her best friend, had arrived. "Good morning, Sango!" She greeted with a warm smile.

Sango smiled back. "Have you heard the news?" She asked, looking excited about something.

"News about what?" Kagome took a seat and looked at Sango curiously.

"There are new students coming today!" Sango said merrily. "And they're going to be our classmates!"

Kagome smiled a little. "That's nice…" She said. _'I wonder if they're—' _Her thoughts were cut when the door opened and the students came rushing in.

"Miss Homura is coming!" Someone shouted. The students scrambled to return to their places and stood straight, waiting for the entrance of their teacher.

Kagome looked quizzically at the girls standing just in front of her as they continued to giggle and talk in hushed but still audible voices.

"Oh my! He's so gorgeous! He just winked at me a while ago! I thought I was going to faint!"

"Have you seen his ears?.! They're so cute!.!.!"

"Did you see that cool white hair?.! He's so hot!.!.!"

"I hope he sits beside me!.!.!"

"Do you think he'll get my number later?"

"I think he'll invite me to eat lunch with him later!.!.!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and looked away from the crazy girls talking in front of her. _'What is happening to those girls?.!' _She wondered. _'And ears? What ears?' _

The door opened again and their teacher, Miss Homura, entered. She was a slim woman with an average height that had warm green eyes. Her brown hair was always tied back with a black ribbon. Kagome's eyes wandered from her teacher then to the two boys that followed her. One of the boys caught her full attention. He had snow-white hair that fell up to his knees, piercing golden amber eyes and fuzzy dog ears.

_'Wait! Dog ears?.!' _She blinked her eyes and looked again. The fuzzy white triangles still remained at the top of his head. _'Hanyou?.!' _Kagome had returned her attention to their teacher that she didn't see that Inuyasha's gaze was on her.

"Good morning! Everyone please take your seats." Miss Homura started. "We have two new students and they will be belonging to this class from now on. Gentlemen, would you mind introducing yourselves?"

Miroku smiled kindly and began introducing himself. Kagome knew almost immediately from the way he smiled that he was the one who winked at those swooning girls ahead of her. Short black hair and cool deep purple eyes, he wasn't a boy that would have a hard time catching a girl's attention.

"I'm Miroku Machida. I am eighteen years old. I am glad to meet all of you and I hope that we become good friends." He gave out another killer smile that made almost all of the girls blush, faint or both.

Kagome looked at Sango and they both rolled their eyes—but not before Kagome caught a tinge of pink on Sango's cheeks.

"Next?" Miss Homura looked at Inuyasha with a smile.

Inuyasha ignored the smile and went on with the introduction. "Inuyasha Tsuzuki, seventeen years old. Not so glad to meet all of you but I don't have any choice." He said with dead serious eyes. "And yeah, I'm a hanyou. Don't worry, I don't eat people—yet." Inuyasha smirked at the faces of his new classmates. Most of them were shocked, some tried to smile and tried to see it as a new student prank but what caught his eyes was the miko's expression. She was glaring fiercely at him, like fire was burning in her eyes. Inuyasha only smirked even more. _'This is going to be interesting…' _

"Inuyasha! What do you think were you doing?.!" Miroku whispered to Inuyasha, glowering at the hanyou beside him.

"I was introducing myself, moron." He replied in a low voice, still looking at the miko who looked so much like Kikyou. He had seen Kikyou's glares several times but that girl's glare was different—it was nothing like Kikyou's. The leader of Solferis' glares were scorching like the embers of hell but hers were like hell itself—not just the flames, hers came with the devil that made him shiver to the bones—well, only a bit, of course.

"Um… so let's start our lesson!" The teacher finally broke the ice and returned some of the previous atmosphere inside the classroom. "Machida, you can sit at the back of Kaito and Tsuzuki you can—"

"I want to sit behind that girl." Inuyasha stated with determination, pointing to Kagome.

Miss Homura managed another small smile—this time a little nervous—and said in a meek voice, "Uh, sure. You can sit wherever you want."

"Keh!" Inuyasha went to walk to his chair, not looking at any of the students inside the room. He could feel that the whole class was staring at him but he ignored it.

"You could have asked _nicely_." Miroku muttered under his breath before he sat down on the chair behind Sango and beside Inuyasha.

"Since when was I nice?" He said, taking a seat on his own chair.

"Never mind." Inuyasha heard Miroku reply. Finally, their conversation was through. _'And now, here's the miko I have to protect…Let's see how tough she is… Kagome Higurashi… Keh! Annoying bitch!' _

Kagome could feel Inuyasha's eyes on her back. _'Argh!.!.! I can't believe this idiot is sitting right behind me! Why do I have to be the one to suffer? Someone help me!.!.!' _

x

Kagome waited for the lunch bell anxiously. _'Come on! Ring! Ring! Ring!' _She repeatedly chanted in her mind. She slowly turned her head to take a glance at Inuyasha. She quickly spun her head back and looked back at the blackboard._ 'Argh!.!.! He's still wearing that annoying smirk!.!.!' _She screamed mentally.

Inuyasha was enjoying the way he was infuriating the little miko sitting in front of him. Just by sitting behind her, he knew that she was more than annoyed. When she turned to steal a glance of him, Inuyasha quickly caught her and smirked. _'How can I not catch her?.! Stupid wench!' _He thought, smiling to himself. _'Now, let's see how many times I can annoy this miko…' _

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg!.!.!.!.!.!.!.! _

_'Finally!'_ Kagome quickly stood up and took Sango's hand. "Come on, Sango! Let's go to the canteen!" She said, not looking behind her. Just before she could reach the door…

"Higurashi?"

"Yes, Miss Homura?" Kagome paused to look at her teacher.

"Since you're the president of the class, would you please give our two new students a tour around the school after eating your lunch?" Miss Homura asked.

Inuyasha loved the way the expression on Kagome's face changed from being cheerful and relieved to horrified, like she had just seen Death and it said to her, 'I'm going to take you now, Kagome.'

"Um, sure, Miss Homura." Kagome heard herself say before she could even stop herself from saying the dreadful words that were bound to make her day a living hell.

"Good then." Kagome didn't hear Miss Homura's last words before she left the room because she was busy glaring at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha held that glare as he approached Kagome and her friend. He smirked at her and said, "Hello, wench."

Kagome didn't know why she did it but the moment Inuyasha said those words to her, she knew she had had enough. She would never come near Inuyasha Tsuzuki for the rest of her life. Before anyone could say another word, she ran outside to escape a living nightmare.

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Great first meeting, right? Clash of Inuyasha and Kagome gets more intense next chapter! I love reviews, don't be shy to give me one!


	2. The Arrangement

A/N: Wow… -gasps at the reviews- I can't believe I already had this much response! I'm really surprised with all of you! Thank you sooooo much! –does a happy dance- I'm very happy with all of my reviews! Thank you!

Some of my readers don't actually read AUs but they still read this one for me… -sniff- I am so touched! You are so kind, everyone… For that, I promise not to disappoint you and make this fanfic enjoyable and flufftastic as possible _without _risking the personalities of the characters… I hope you like the way Inuyasha is portrayed in this fanfic… He'll be pretty much like Inuyasha in the series so I think it's not much of an AU… Tell me if I get way too OOC with their characterizations, okay? Inuyasha is pretty rude but that would change a little as we go through my story, don't worry…

And for those who don't know the meaning of AU, AU means Alternate Universe. It means that the Inuyasha characters are transported to a different setting (not the Sengoku Jidai anymore) and some or all of them are going to have different roles but they should still act in character like in the series. I mean, in some way… they should still be like in the series. I hope I've helped you…

By the way, if you want to join my mailing list for this fanfic, click the link for my homepage because that's it.

x

Disclaimer: .Inuyasha own don't II don't own Inuyasha. No suing now…

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 2

**_The Arrangement _**

x

x

x

x

x

_'I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!.!.!.!.!'_ Kagome thought, pulling the string harder, while her hand shook in fury. She closed her eyes and the words that made her more than annoyed that very moment rushed in her head like a speeding arrow.

**He smirked at her and said, "Hello, wench." **

The picture of Inuyasha's smirk only fueled her intensifying anger for the hanyou. _'I haven't seen anyone wear a smirk more irritating than Inuyasha!' _She thought, seeing the hanyou's wide smirk once again in her mind. _'Argh! Get out of my head!.!.!' _She finally steadied her bow, took one last look at her target and released the arrow, wishing dearly that Inuyasha Tsuzuki _was_ her target that very moment.

The arrow hit its target perfectly—which was _not_ Inuyasha but a wooden circular board. It always hit the bull's eye. After all, Kagome was not an amateur when it came to archery. Since she was a little girl, she had always liked archery that she joined the archery club in her school when she reached high school. Of course, she had trained very hard to be able to aim perfectly and that took her some time. But every hard work she did wasn't wasted, now that she was the president of the said club…

She found archery to be both enjoying and relaxing. Whenever she needed to chill out, she went to the archery fields to shoot some arrows. It was peaceful there and she was able to think more clearly when she had released her emotions through the arrows.

"How dare he call me that!" Kagome uttered in complete exasperation, getting another arrow from her quiver. "Who does he think he is?.!" She muttered, glaring ferociously at her target. She took her aim and began pulling the string to prepare the release of her arrow. "Just because he's got that cool long silver hair." She pulled the arrow back, stretching the string even more. "Just because he's got that extraordinary amber eyes. Just because he's got those cut—no, they're not cute! Just because he's got those… um… furry dog ears!" She finally freed the arrow, imagining Inuyasha's face as her target. _'Hah! Bull's eye! Serves you right!'_ She smiled victoriously when he hit her _Inuyasha_ target squarely on the face. "Who cares if he's a hanyou!.? He's still an ass and I don't like him—not even a bit! I _abhor_ him with my whole heart and soul! I'm not talking to that bastard ever again!" She got another arrow and smirked. _'Seems like I have a new picture to visualize when I aim my arrows…'_ She thought, feeling a lot better. _'Now, I'm going to aim for that smirk!'_

x

"Inuyasha, why the hell did you tell her _that_?.!.?" Miroku hollered at Inuyasha's ear, glowering at him.

"Damn it, Miroku! I just said 'hello', okay?.!" Inuyasha answered defensively, covering his sensitive ears from Miroku's shouting and glaring back at his fellow agent.

"Correction," said Miroku with sharp eyes still piercing Inuyasha. "You said, 'Hello, _wench_.'" He told him.

Oops. Did he really say that…? Inuyasha quickly scanned his memory and got the answer. Of course he did say that. _'Keh! Who cares! She's a wench, anyway.' _Inuyasha thought."So what if I did?.!" He protested, looking uninterested and unaffected.

"You hurt her, Inuyasha!" Miroku griped. "You should have just called her by her name instead of insulting her!"

"Hey! What can I do?.! I forgot her fucking name, okay?.!" Inuyasha returned, unable to understand why Miroku was making such a big deal out of those two words. "Why the hell do you have to make a big deal out of it?.!"

Miroku clenched his fist for a while then loosened it with a soft sigh. He ran his hand smoothly through his black hair and said, "First, you can't possibly forget her name." He looked at Sango cautiously then added, "_Remember_?" _'She's your charge, you fool! You've been reading her profile just a few hours ago!' _Miroku wanted to tell Inuyasha. "Second, this _is_ big deal. If you're not taking this seriously, I'm going to tell Ki—"

"Okay! Okay! I got your point!" He hurriedly said to cut Miroku. "No need to blackmail me." He added, folding his arms over his chest.

Miroku ignored his last sentence and beamed contentedly. "Good!" He said.

Sango was absolutely lost during the whole conversation between Inuyasha and Miroku. She just stood there, watching them like a little innocent kid. Sensing that the fight was closing, she decided that it was the right time to make her exit and look for her missing best friend.

"Um, I think I got to go and look for Kagome…" She said, ready to head for the door.

"No!" Miroku quickly grabbed Sango's arm before she could leave. There was no way Miroku was going to let a hot babe walk out from him just because Inuyasha was being a jerk. "You still have to give me that school tour!" He reminded her.

"That was Kagome." Sango pointed out, looking at the hand holding her arm with a raised eyebrow.

"She's missing so you should replace her." Miroku answered intelligently.

"Why me?"

"Because there's no one else left to do the job." He replied with that same smile he always used to charm girls.

Unfortunately, Sango wasn't charmed—even a bit. She took Miroku's hand off her arm, dropped it to his side and said, "I'll just go get Kagome and she'll be willing to do the job."

"That will be taking too much time… I think Inuyasha will be more than willing to do that for you. So why not be my guide around the campus?"

"Because I don't want to." She simply said.

"Wait a minute! Why do I have to go looking for the girl?.!" Inuyasha quickly complained to Miroku.

"Because you're the one who made her run away." Miroku stated calmly. "Or maybe you would prefer something else… like perhaps you would like me to tell K—"

"Fine! I'm going, you blackmailer!" Inuyasha threw one last glare at Miroku before stomping away towards the door.

Miroku returned his eyes to Sango and smiled. "So, shall we eat lunch together?"

_BANG! _Inuyasha closed the door with so much force. Surprisingly, the door didn't collapse.

"He's mad at you, isn't he?" Sango observed.

"No, he's just a bit grouchy." Miroku said. "So where's the canteen?"

"I'm still not going to give you the tour."

"I still have forty-five minutes to change your mind." He told her after checking his watch for the time.

"You won't be able to." She returned, walking towards the door.

Miroku smiled cunningly, his violet eyes sparkling with excitement at the new challenge. "Let's see…"

x

"I hate him." Kagome muttered under her breath before letting go of the arrow. This time, the arrow hit the imaginary Inuyasha target at the forehead. She motioned to get another arrow from the quiver when she realized that she had none already. "Ugh, why do I have to run out of arrows now?.!.?" She cried out, placing her empty quiver on the floor.

"Wow… nice target board."

Kagome spun around immediately and groaned upon seeing Inuyasha, leaning against the wall and watching her. "Speaking of the devil…" She muttered then sighed. She walked to Inuyasha, standing in front of him. "Why are you here?" She demanded, her chocolate brown eyes looking at his amber eyes boldly. _'Maybe he came here to apologize?' _She thought hopefully.

"Miroku insists that I look for you." Inuyasha answered.

"Because?" Her eyes shimmered with hope.

Inuyasha didn't get the message her eyes were telling him. He knew she was expecting something but he didn't know what it was. _'Well, why do I have to bother myself?.!' _He thought, throwing aside the thought he previously had in his mind. "I don't know." He shrugged. "I guess he wants that school tour badly."

_'School tour?.!' _Her heart dropped painfully to her stomach. She closed her eyes and sighed mentally. _'Why am I expecting an apology from someone like him? It's impossible.' _She opened her eyes once more, the fierceness in her eyes had returned. "Go away."

"I just came here." Inuyasha objected.

"Well apparently I don't _like _you here so you should go." She spat venomously.

Inuyasha leaned forward to look closer into Kagome's eyes, making the space between their faces just a few inches—too small for Kagome's comfort. "You hate me, don't you?" He asked, studying her eyes carefully.

Kagome took a step back to increase the distance between them. Now, she could breathe safely again. "Do you really have to ask?" She asked, pointing to the target board she had been practicing at a while ago. About fifty arrows had struck the target board—in all places. "Guess who's the lucky person I pictured as my target."

Far from Kagome's expectation, Inuyasha didn't look bothered, sorry or anything near those two words. In fact, he was smirking at her. "No problem." He told her. "It's a good thing that the feeling's mutual."

Kagome wanted so much to slap him across the face but she managed to stop herself. Instead, she just walked away from him and went over her bag to get her lunch. "I'm not giving the school tour anymore, I don't care if you tell Miss Homura." She said, not looking at Inuyasha.

"No problem. I don't need it." Inuyasha replied nonchalantly. _'I have a vicinity map of this school anyway.' _

"I hope Miroku doesn't mind." She continued.

"He probably asked your friend to do the job instead of bothering you." He said, staring at the arrows Kagome had fired on the target board. _'Besides, he also doesn't need the tour.' _

Silence followed. The school racket could be heard but not a sound came from the two people in the archery fields.

"If you don't have anything else to say, you can leave now." She told him coldly, deciding to end the deafening hush between them.

No audible answer came from Inuyasha.

Kagome didn't turn her head to look at Inuyasha. She just looked down at her lunch box and held it firmly, listening closely.

Then soft footsteps were heard. Inuyasha had left.

Kagome gave out a sigh and opened her lunch box. "Thank you for the food…" She said.

x

After having his lunch, Inuyasha had entered the room quietly and went to his chair. Miroku still hadn't returned. _'Probably flirting…' _He thought. He was about to sit down but he found many pairs of eyes watching him. Instead, he went to the window and looked at the view without any interest.

"Inuyasha, where's Kagome?"

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and found Miroku standing behind him. Sango was also back; she was fixing something in her backpack and muttering words that associated Miroku's name to a pig, a jerk and an annoying pervert.

"So you got your school tour?" Inuyasha questioned even though he already knew the answer.

Miroku grinned at his friend. "Yeah. She's pretty tough to convince though." He looked at Sango and gave her a smile. Sango, on the other hand, glared at him and mouthed, 'Pig, stop pestering me!'

"Isn't she a darling?" He turned to Inuyasha with a smirk.

Inuyasha glanced at Sango then back at Miroku. "Don't tell me you groped her?.!" He whispered so only Miroku could hear, looking horrified.

"Of course not!" He quickly answered—too quickly for Inuyasha to believe him.

"Sure…" Inuyasha looked at him warily. "Now, tell me."

Miroku sighed. Inuyasha knew him too well. "I didn't actually grope her." He started.

"But you planned to." Inuyasha stated matter-of-factly.

"Well… I can't help it! Her skirt is too tempting."

"You always can't help yourself."

"Anyway, I'm afraid my mission failed." Miroku said, looking dejected.

"She caught you?" Inuyasha couldn't help the amusement in his voice. "Wow…"

"My hand still hadn't reached her but she stepped on my foot and whacked me in the head with her bag." He continued, wincing when he held the swollen part of his head.

"Did you go to the clinic?" Inuyasha asked.

"I already placed some ice over the bump." He told Inuyasha. "You should have seen the librarian, Inuyasha! She's pretty sexy…"

"And I bet that earned you another smack from Sango." Inuyasha stated it more like a fact rather than a question.

"Yeah, she smacked me at the back really hard that I thought my rib cage was going to break." Miroku said then beamed at him. "The doctor in the clinic said nothing's broken though. The nurse was cute too—"

"And—"

"Sango strangled me because of that one."

"I'm surprised you're not yet dead." The hanyou said with amazement. "And she was able to endure you for the rest of the tour? Is she crazy?"

"No, I think not," replied Miroku. "She said she needed to guard me or I'd be groping all of the women in this school before the time for lunch ended." He glanced at Sango and sighed. "So, back to the original topic, where's Kagome?" He asked, repeating the unanswered question he gave to Inuyasha before.

"At the archery fields." He returned his eyes at the sky, watching it listlessly.

"Did you talk to her?"

"Sure."

"Did you apologize?" Miroku asked, looking expectantly at the hanyou.

"No." Inuyasha answered.

"You didn't apologize?.!" He repeated.

"Are you deaf?.!" Inuyasha asked angrily, looking dangerously at Miroku.

Miroku sighed in defeat. Why did he have to ask that one? Inuyasha Tsuzuki _never_ apologized to _anyone_—even if it was entirely his fault. "So why did you leave her?" He tried another question.

"She doesn't want me sticking around her and I don't want to stick around her so I left." Inuyasha replied nonchalantly.

Miroku shook his head. Was Inuyasha always this stubborn when he didn't like his charge? "Inuyasha, she's your charge. You can't leave her just like that." He told him, reminding him about the basic rules of their mission.

"I want to quit this mission." Inuyasha said with determination. He turned his head to look at Miroku and rephrased his words, "Miroku, I'm quitting this mission."

"I'm sorry Inuyasha, you can't," said Miroku. "I talked to Kikyou a while ago."

"When?" Inuyasha asked, looking attentively at Miroku. '_Why didn't Kikyou talk to me directly?' _He wondered.

"She called me again before we left the base," explained Miroku. "She's worried that you're going to abandon the mission. She doesn't want you to quit, Inuyasha. She's counting on you."

Inuyasha looked back at the heavens and said, "I'll think about it."

"Think carefully, Inuyasha. I know you don't want to let Kikyou down…"

Inuyasha nodded. _'Kikyou…'_

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg! _

Inuyasha and Miroku, together with the rest of the class, went to sit on their respective chairs and waited for the coming of their teacher.

Inuyasha remembered that Kagome still hadn't returned when he found the chair in front of him empty. _'Where the hell is she?.! She's going to be late!' _He thought, suddenly getting impatient and peeved.

The door opened and revealed—not their teacher—but Kagome. She treaded silently towards her chair, not looking at any of her classmates. When she reached her seat, she accidentally met Inuyasha's eyes. For a moment, both of them held the connection without any emotion in their eyes. Both were trying to read through their eyes but neither of them got any answers. It seemed like there was nothing to be said to each other. Finally, Kagome broke the eye contact and sat down. _'Jerk.' _She said in her mind.

Inuyasha looked back at the window. "Bitch..." He muttered under his breath. Inuyasha's day was definitely not going to be any better…

x

"Bye, Sango!" Kagome waved at her friend before she turned left. Now she was all alone. She slumped her shoulders and sighed. It had been a tiring day for her. _'I can't understand him…'_ She thought, thinking about Inuyasha. _'Why does he have to be so cruel to me?' _A voice suddenly answered inside her head. _'Maybe because you don't give him a chance to show you his good side?' _Kagome stopped and thought for a moment. _'Good side?.! Does he have one?.!' _She wondered, walking once more. _'I doubt—wait a minute.' _She halted again and listened.

She was certain now. Someone was following her.

Kagome didn't dare look at her stalker. She continued to walk—faster this time. Her stalker walked a little faster to keep up with her. The person following her was getting closer. Her stalker's footsteps were clearly from a man; he didn't seem to be interested in hiding his presence from her. _'He probably wants to scare me to death.' _Kagome thought, increasing her pace once again. Only a few more steps and he would have caught her but he didn't. He just maintained enough speed so he wouldn't lose her. _'He really does plan to scare me to death!' _She thought and bolted as fast as her legs would take her.

Kagome continued to run for her life. There was no way she would let that man catch her. After a few minutes of running, she looked over her shoulder and stopped. The road was empty. _'Where did he go?' _She thought, looking confused. She took a careful look all over the place and found no one. Her stalker was gone.

"I guess he got tired of running after me." She sighed in relief, turned her back and continued her way back home.

x

"I'm home!" She called out, opening the door of their house and closing it behind her. "Hi, Mama!" She greeted when she spotted her mother standing in front of the doorway.

"Welcome home, Kagome!" She said warmly then her eyes went past Kagome. "You brought a friend?" She inquired.

"Huh?" Kagome said in confusion. She turned around to look at the friend her mother was talking about and spotted Inuyasha standing at the doorway. "How did you get here?.!" She exclaimed, looking at the hanyou with terrified eyes.

"I followed you home!" He stated, looking at her with narrowed eyes. "What do you think did I do?.!"

"You were my stalker?.!" Kagome gasped, pointing an accusing finger at Inuyasha.

"Keh! So what?" He said, folding his arms arrogantly.

"For your information, you nearly killed me!" Kagome yelled at him.

"It's your fault! Why the hell were you running away from me?.!" He argued. "It's not like I was going to kill you or something!"

"It's my fault?.!" She repeated, eyes burning with anger. "Why didn't you just approach me instead of following me like some creepy stalker!.?"

"How would I approach you?.! You ran away from me!" He said defensively.

"Why wouldn't I ran away?.! You scared me!" She retorted.

Mrs. Higurashi looked at the two for a while and then said, "I think I'll just go and let you two discuss—"

"Wait." Inuyasha said, looking at Mrs. Higurashi.

Mrs. Higurashi looked at Inuyasha and waited. "Anything wrong?" She asked.

"I need to talk to you." He said, looking seriously at Kagome's mother. "The whole family, actually."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled thoughtfully. "Follow me then. We'll discuss matters in the living room." She said and went to the living room.

Inuyasha was about to follow when Kagome pulled the sleeve of his uniform. "What?.!" He demanded, glaring at her.

"Could you tell me _exactly_ what are you doing here?" She asked, looking at Inuyasha in the eye.

He took Kagome's hand off his sleeve and brushed off the non-existing dirt on it. "If you really want to know, then you shouldn't be stopping me. Just follow me, okay?" He said and walked away.

Kagome quickly followed Inuyasha and told him, "You talk like you live in this house."

Inuyasha smirked at her. "And you'd be surprised because I would be." He told her, waiting for her reaction. He loved to see her reactions, especially when he caught her off guard.

"WHAT?.!" She stopped walking and gaped at Inuyasha. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Inuyasha didn't stop walking but he turned his head to annoy Kagome with his smirk. "Starting tonight." He smirked even wider at the horror on Kagome's face.

x

Everyone was seated in the living room. Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome's grandfather and Souta, her little brother, were all seated on the long sofa. Kagome sat on one of the couch intended for a single person while Inuyasha sat on the other one, which was situated beside hers. Everyone was looking at Inuyasha, waiting for him to start whatever he was going to say.

"Well…" Inuyasha started, looking at all of his listeners. "Let's start the business. I am here because of your daughter."

"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi said hesitantly.

"Yes, her." Inuyasha said firmly. "She's in danger because He—"

"In danger?.!" Kagome interrupted. "I'm not in—"

"Shut up and let me explain!" He snapped at her, making Kagome glare viciously at him. He ignored her glares and continued with the task at hand. "She's in danger because Hell's Gate is going to be after her. Hell's Gate is kidnapping mikos all around the world to use their powers for their own advantage. You see… your daughter is a miko."

"A miko?.!" Kagome's grandfather said in surprise. "But that's impossible. There's no one in our family that is pre—"

Inuyasha shook his head in disapproval. "Miko powers aren't hereditary. There's no doubt that your daughter is a miko. Our tracers have detected her aura." Inuyasha explained further. "I'm a hanyou and I can sense her miko aura. I'm sure Hell's Gate has already sensed her aura too."

Kagome's grandfather still looked doubtful. "But you may be—"

"Mistaken?" He continued for him. He opened his bag and took out a flask that contained something that looked very much like black smoke. "You know what's this?"

"Er… smoke?" Souta guessed.

Inuyasha groaned inwardly. _'Why does the family always answer that when I ask them?'_ He thought. "No, kid." He said, pointing to the black mist inside the bottle. "This is an evil aura of a trapped youkai. Watch this." He grabbed Kagome's hand from the armrest and made it touch the bottle. A bright pink light engulfed the bottle and the black smoke dissolved. The flask was crystal clear and empty.

Kagome snatched her hand from Inuyasha's grasp and held it. She studied her hand for a while but didn't find anything unusual—but she knew that the light had come from her hand. _'What was that?' _She asked herself.

As if reading Kagome's mind, Inuyasha answered it for her. "That's your miko power. You just purified the evil aura." He placed the container back into his bag and looked at his audience. "Now, do you believe me?"

Everyone nodded, still unable to speak.

"So let's continue. I came from Solferis, a secret organization which aims to protect mikos from Hell's Gate. I was sent here by the leader to protect your daughter twenty-four seven." Inuyasha said, waiting for any questions. When he got none, he carried on. "I'm not promising you that your daughter will not be kidnapped but it will still be better than nothing." Kikyou told him to always add that sentence in the end to convince the family of his charge.

Kagome watched Inuyasha closely the whole time he spoke and took in every word he said with keen interest. "How do we know you're not working for Hell's Gate?" Kagome asked, looking suspiciously at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha didn't see that question coming but he immediately got an answer. "If I were working for them, I would have kidnapped you already. I've got many chances—in school, in the archery fields and when you were walking home." He said, looking at Kagome's eyes without any pretenses.

But Kagome wasn't going to fall that easily. "What if this is part of a trap?" She asked, challenging him.

"Hell's Gate doesn't use a trap. They kidnap their target whenever they see a chance." Inuyasha said, looking firmly at her. _'At least I think they don't.' _He thought."If you don't want the arrangement, say it directly instead of using alibis. It's not like I'm dying to guard you!"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha fiercely and said, "Don't worry because I'm not accepting—"

"We're accepting the arrangement." Mrs. Higurashi announced all of a sudden, cutting Kagome.

Kagome gawked at her mother, looking horror-stricken. _'No way…' _"Mama, don't tell me you believe him! He's just fooling us!" She wasn't going to just sit there and allow this. There was no way she was letting Inuyasha live together with them.

"Do you think I'll waste my precious time talking to all of you if I were just fooling around?.!" Inuyasha bickered, looking incredulously at Kagome. "Why do you think did I enter your school all of a sudden?.!"

Kagome ignored Inuyasha completely and continued with her mission—to convince her mother _not_ to accept the arrangement Inuyasha was offering. "Mama, I don't need protection! Besides, I doubt that he can protect me!" She pointed at Inuyasha but didn't look at him. _'How can someone who hates me, protect me?' _She wanted to ask but decided against it.

Inuyasha could feel the familiar pain once again. He always felt it whenever someone rejected him. He sighed and disregarded the ache he felt. "You're the youngest miko we have seen so far. A lot of older and more trained mikos have said the same thing. They all fell into Hell's Gate's clutches. If you don't want to be next, I strongly suggest that you accept our offer." He turned his head and made sure that his eyes were connected with Kagome's before he spoke again. "And about my ability, don't judge me because you don't know me. I can protect you if you'll let me." He said, amber eyes reflecting pure honesty.

Kagome fell silent at Inuyasha's words. Maybe she had said too much… _'Maybe I should give him a chance?' _She thought, pondering her decision. But half of her was telling her otherwise. "You're right, I don't know you…" She said, looking at Inuyasha's eyes with some sadness. "And I'm sorry to say this but…" Something in Inuyasha's eyes made her hesitate. Did she really have to say this?

Inuyasha saw the hesitation in her eyes. "Say it." He insisted.

The miko took a deep breath, still not taking her eyes off Inuyasha. "That's why I cannot trust you that easily." She said just a bit louder than a whisper but Inuyasha caught the words perfectly—all of them.

And Inuyasha thought that trust wasn't important in his job. He was quiet for a while not knowing what to say anymore. Slowly he shifted his eyes away from Kagome and looked at his left. He never knew those words would hurt so much.

Kagome could sense that she had hurt Inuyasha and shockingly, she didn't feel very happy with it. Instead, she felt very bad that she wished she hadn't said those words. Even for someone as annoying as Inuyasha, surely he didn't deserve to be judged like that. "Inuyasha—" She stopped when Inuyasha suddenly stood up.

"I guess that ends our discussion." He said, looking at Kagome for a while then to the other three. "I'll just tell our leader that you—"

"Wait,"

Both Inuyasha and Kagome were startled when Mrs. Higurashi spoke.

"Kagome, don't you think you should give him a chance?" Mrs. Higurashi said, turning to her daughter. "I think he's telling the truth. His eyes tell me that."

"But Mama…" Kagome protested. She didn't know what to do anymore.

"He looks strong enough for me," said jiichan. "I think this young man can protect our precious Kagome! He can even help clean the shrine!" Jiichan said with a bright smile.

_'Clean the shrine? Was that included in the bargain?' _Inuyasha wondered, looking at the old man. He was beginning to doubt if he really wanted this job…

"Jiichan, you can't make him clean the shrine! He's not a helper here." Kagome said, trying to remind her grandfather about Inuyasha's role.

Souta also began to join the excitement shown by his mother and grandfather regarding their new guest. "Wow! Come on neechan! If you'll agree, I'll get a new playmate!" He said, looking pleadingly at his sister.

_'Playmate?.!' _Inuyasha thought, looking at the little kid. _'Do I have to be the babysitter too?.!' _

"So, Inuyasha no niichan—um—I can call you that, right?" Souta asked uncertainly.

"Sure… I guess." Inuyasha answered, watching the whole Higurashi family with wonder. The last family he had informed was very tensed when they realized the danger that their daughter would be encountering. On the other hand, this family seemed to take the news differently. They were silent for a while but then they were all of a sudden so excited. _'What a weird family…' _He thought.

Souta continued his ranting. "You can even sleep in my room if you like!" He offered.

"He'll be living with us?.!" Kagome asked, standing up to show her full objection to the idea.

Souta didn't seem to hear his sister because he went on with his talking. "I have lots of video games and I bet you'll love them all! I even have the latest version of Tekken and—mmph!"

Mrs. Higurashi covered Souta's mouth lightly to stop him from speaking. "He won't be sleeping in your room, Souta!" She opposed with her son strongly.

Kagome sighed. Finally, her mother had changed her mind. _'Of course, Inuyasha wasn't going to stay in our house. Maybe he could protect me but not live with us here.' _She thought, relief flooding in her heart.

"He will be sleeping in the room next to Kagome's room," said her mother with a smile. "Don't you think that will be a great idea, jiichan?"

"Oh yes! That will be perfect! If the bad guys will come to get Kagome, he will be right on the next room to save her!" Jiichan also thought that the idea was the greatest idea of the year. "I'll also be helping! I've got this new scrolls from the shrine and—"

"Jiichan, they never really work…" Souta told his grandfather impassively.

"Of course they do!" Jiichan contended, looking determined.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at Inuyasha then at Kagome. "It's settled then! We accept the arrangement! From now on, you are going to be Kagome's guardian!" She clapped her hands together and stood up. "I think I'll go prepare dinner now!" She said cheerfully and rushed to the kitchen.

"Oh! I better get those scrolls ready now…" Jiichan also stood up and left hastily to go to the shrine.

"Wait, jiichan! I'm going with you!" Before Souta left, he went to Inuyasha and said, "Can I shake your hand?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha wasn't sure he had heard the kid right.

Souta translated Inuyasha's answer as a yes so he took his clawed hand and shook it lightly. He grinned at him then scampered away.

"Wow, jiichan! I have an older brother now! Isn't that amazing?.!" Inuyasha heard Souta shout as he followed the older man outside. "Do you think he'll teach me some moves?"

Kagome couldn't believe it. "My family is conspiring against me." She stated more to herself than to Inuyasha and dropped weakly on the soft couch.

Inuyasha also sat down, looked at Kagome curiously and said, "Hey."

Kagome looked at him and said in return, "What?"

Inuyasha pointed a finger at the way the three had gone and asked, "Are you sure that was your family?" Maybe they entered the wrong house.

"You know, I'm beginning to doubt that now…" Kagome told him, thinking about Inuyasha's words _seriously_. Maybe she did enter the wrong house…

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: I love long reviews. If I get plenty, maybe I'll update again next week! Inuyasha's job starts next chapter! YAY! That's going to be fun! I can't wait to write!


	3. First Day

A/N: IMPORTANT NOTE! READ BEFORE CONTINUING! To those who had read chapter two during the first two days of my update, I strongly suggest that you re-read the part where Inuyasha and Kagome's family are talking about the arrangement. I changed a few things there… Go back before reading this chappie or you'll get lost (somehow)…

Your reviews are very much appreciated! A lot of you even wrote a long review just to make me happy… Yay! Thank you so much to all of you! You make me feel so loved!

Again, if you want to join my mailing list for this fanfic, here's the link (just take out all the spaces, okay?): http : miara-lily. notifylist. com /the(insert underscore here)shadow. html

If you don't get it, the link is posted in my bio/profile so just click the link there. Sorry for taking so long. School matters and I've been doing a team research project. My teammates and I are going to Arizona to represent our country in the coming Intel ISEF this May. Isn't that exciting? Also, I am starting to edit my finished Inuyasha fanfic, Stay. You can check it if you want to see if there are still some errors… (oh please do!)

x

Disclaimer: Nooooooo, I do not own Inuyasha. Why do you want me to say those words every time I update? (To avoid being sued, I guess… lol!)

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 3

**_First Day_**

x

x

x

x

x

"At last!" Kagome said as she let herself fall on her soft red-covered bed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _'So many things have happened today… Now, Inuyasha is living with us—who knows until when? I guess it won't be that bad… He's protecting me after all. But I don't feel like I really need protection.' _She thought and opened her eyes again. She raised her hand above her to gaze at it. "Am I really a miko?" She asked to herself. "I don't feel like anything has changed in me… but back then…" She remembered the instance she had purified the evil aura inside the flask. "Did I really do that?"

Without any warning or whatsoever, the door flew open and revealed Inuyasha who was carrying a small box with one of his hands. He just stood there for a while, scanning the room silently with his eyes. He didn't seem to notice Kagome's irritated look at him.

Kagome sat up on her bed, eyes glaring at Inuyasha, while she crossed her arms in front of her. "What are you doing here?" She asked pointedly, looking suspiciously at the hanyou. "If you still don't know, this is _my _room. Your room is before this one."

Finally, Inuyasha turned his attention to Kagome. "I know that." He simply told her and went towards her window. He settled the box on the floor and began examining her window.

"If you know, then you shouldn't enter my room just like that!" She said tetchily, standing up as she felt her anger stirring up again. "What if I was dressing when you entered? You should have knocked first!"

Inuyasha finished checking the glass slide window and tapped his chin thoughtfully. He shook his head from side to side then heaved out a sigh. He looked over his shoulder and rolled his amber eyes at Kagome. "There's no point in knocking. As far as I can see…" He looked at Kagome's light blue pajamas before continuing, "you're not naked so stop ranting." He gave Kagome one last look before bending down to open the package.

Kagome glared at Inuyasha's back and wished deeply that she could make Inuyasha burst into flames then and there. "I said 'what if', you blockhead." She pointed out. "Next time, try to knock, okay?.!"

"Sure." Inuyasha grunted, putting a sort of device below her window sill and on both sides of the window. "If I remember, that is."

Kagome lightly slapped her hand to her forehead in frustration. "Wow, thanks." She said dryly. "I feel much better now."

"No problem, wench." Inuyasha replied, smirking at Kagome.

"That's it!" She snapped and walked over to where Inuyasha was standing. "Look." She started, eyes looking straight at Inuyasha. "My name is Kagome not wench. Ka-go-me!" She poked Inuyasha's chest with her finger, emphasizing every syllable of her name for Inuyasha to understand. "Stop calling me wench!" She glowered at him, hands on her hips.

"Look, wen—"

"I said stop calling me wench." Kagome hissed through her gritted teeth.

Inuyasha sighed, looking back at Kagome with equally vexed eyes. "Look, _wench_. I can call you whatever I want. My duty here is to protect you. I'm not here to do your every bidding." He said.

"I'm not _ordering_ you to do _everything_ I say." She clarified to him. "I'm just _asking_ you to call me by my name."

"Maybe some other time. When I feel like calling you by your name." He said as he picked up the empty box that he had placed on the floor. When Inuyasha stood up again and met Kagome's eyes, he saw something different in her eyes. Irritation was replaced by something softer—regret.

After a few seconds, Kagome lowered her gaze to her feet before she spoke. "You're mad at me, aren't you?" Her mouth suddenly opened and said those words. _'Of course he is! He just said he hated you!' _She thought, mentally hitting herself for asking such a stupid question.

"Where did that come from?" asked Inuyasha, looking confused all of a sudden. The fact that Kagome's expression had changed so quickly made Inuyasha so perplexed. One moment he could have sworn that she wanted so much to maim him and now she was looking at him like she was sorry for her actions. _'What's with this girl?' _He wondered, looking at her—this time, with some interest.

Kagome didn't dare raise her eyes to look up at Inuyasha. "You know… about the thing I said a while ago… about not being able to trust you that easily…" She said softly.

"Oh, that one…" said Inuyasha, looking enlightened. "I don't blame you. It's really hard to trust a hanyou." He said, trying to dismiss the conversation they were having.

"No, it's not about that!" Kagome hurriedly said, looking up at Inuyasha. "It's not because you're a hanyou. A lot of things have happened today and I never knew this was coming so it became quite a shock to me…" She paused for a second to look at Inuyasha's reaction before she proceeded. "I never knew I was a miko until now… This is all new to me. So it may take time before I get used to this… and I really want to say sorry for judging you quickly and for saying that I can't trust you that easily…" She wrung her hands uneasily, waiting for Inuyasha to say something.

Inuyasha remained silent for a while then shrugged. "Well, I still don't blame you." He said indifferently.

"So you're not mad at me anymore?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"You worry too much." He commented.

Kagome blinked. "Was that a yes or a no?" She asked.

"Suit yourself."

"I'll take it as a 'No, I'm not mad at you.' then." She declared, smiling a little. "Maybe starting tonight we can be friendlier to each other?" She suggested. "I promise I'll work on the trust issue… and you can start working on calling me by my name. Okay?"

Inuyasha walked past her and towards her door, leaving her hanging. He opened the door but before he closed it, he said, "I placed an alarm device on your window. The alarm will sound when a living body tries to enter through your window by force. Keep your window locked. Scream when anything happens." And he left.

Kagome looked at her window, the device was well hidden from the eyes of the intruder. She turned around to face the door where Inuyasha had departed then sighed. "So I guess that meant good night." She said to herself and went to bed, hoping for a better tomorrow.

x

Inuyasha crushed the carton effortlessly with his hand and tossed it on the trash bin. He massaged his shoulders as he went to his desk, pulled the drawer open and took out his laptop that was delivered to him—along with many other things—just after he had finished having dinner. He opened the equipment and logged on to the Solferis network. He had to make a report to Kikyou.

"Inuyasha, I told you not to tap on the mouse very hard. You're destroying it." A female's voice resounded through the speakers of the laptop.

_Finally_. He had reached Kikyou. Kikyou's face appeared on the screen, solid brown eyes looking sharply at Inuyasha. Inuyasha still couldn't believe that the girl sleeping next to his room looked like _her_.

"The damn thing takes too long to connect!" Inuyasha groused. "By the way, how did you know?" He asked curiously.

"The connection keeps on restarting. I told you to double click the mouse and wait. It will restart every time you push the button again. Next time try waiting a little longer." Kikyou said to Inuyasha.

"You know very well that patience isn't one of my qualities," replied Inuyasha. "I can't wait to see you." He remarked, smiling cockily. If Inuyasha were talking to other girls, they would have blushed brightly at the comment.

But Kikyou wasn't any other girl. She just stared at Inuyasha, looking somber like before. "Yeah, right." She said bluntly. "Enough of the useless chatter, let's get down to business."

_'As always… Never letting her guard down…' _Inuyasha sighed. "So, what do you want to know? I got the job—you know that already." He said, looking bored, as he stared at the screen.

Kikyou nodded, putting her hands together on top of her desk. "You got all of the things that I've sent to you? There should be four bags. Two bags for the security gadgets and other devices you'll need to protect your charge, the other one contains the things you've packed from your apartment—clothes and other personal stuff—and the last is your other sets of school uniform and school supplies." She explained.

"Yeah, I got them all. I just finished unpacking two hours ago. Thanks for sending them." Inuyasha said halfheartedly. "Hey, can't you find someone else to do this mission? I really don't want this—"

"No." Kikyou answered resolutely. "I told you, Inuyasha, you are the only one available and you can't quit. You've started it already. Just stick to this one, you'll get used to it." She told him.

"You exploit me because you know I can't turn you down." He said sulkily. "You're so unfair."

"By the way, where's your mobile phone?" She questioned, completely ignoring Inuyasha's comment. "I kept calling you a while ago to check on you but you didn't answer it."

"Wait." Inuyasha said and went towards the closet. He took out the empty bags and began shaking them one by one to see if he had forgotten anything inside.

"I thought you were done unpacking?" Inuyasha heard Kikyou say from the speakers.

"I am done!" Inuyasha replied. "I'm just looking for my fucking cell phone." He grabbed the last unexamined bag and shook it hard.

Same result. Nothing fell from it.

Inuyasha groaned, running his hand through his silvery white mane. "Damn it!" He cursed. "I forgot it in my apartment." He told Kikyou. "I'll just go get it after my classes tomorrow." He muttered, tossing the bags carelessly back inside the closet.

"Bring Kagome with you."

Inuyasha returned to his desk and glared at the girl on the monitor. "Why the hell do I have to do that?.! She can go home for all I—"

"Inuyasha…" Kikyou said his name, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Do I have to remind you every time? Kagome is _your_ charge and that means?" She looked at Inuyasha expectantly.

Inuyasha sighed. Of course, why did he always forget that? "I have to fucking guard her and tail her even in hell." He muttered crabbily then narrowed his amber orbs at Kikyou. "Fine."

"Give yourself some more time. You're still adjusting." She said, trying to console the hanyou. "I'm sure she's a nice girl…"

"Oh yes! Pretty _nice_." Inuyasha said ironically. "We are getting along _very well_."

Kikyou knew Inuyasha was being sarcastic. He never got along well with his previous charge and she didn't see any reason why this one wouldn't be the same. "Inuyasha, I told you to be nice to her." She said. "You won't get her tr—"

"I thought we were having a business conversation." He interrupted Kikyou. "_This _is obviously not part of that conversation so let's drop it." His golden yellow pools were reflecting pure determination.

Inuyasha was peeved—very much. Kikyou had never seen Inuyasha looking like that before. He might be annoyed with her several times but not this much. His eyes told her that much. "Okay…" She decided it was better to follow Inuyasha. "Anyway, I'll schedule a meeting for Kagome to meet Kaede. I'll call you when it's fixed." She said.

_Knock! Knock!_

"May I come in?" A female voice was heard from behind Inuyasha's door.

"Is that Kagome?" Kikyou questioned Inuyasha.

"No," said Inuyasha. "I'll get back to you in a few minutes." He told her and stood up to open the door. When Inuyasha opened the door, he was greeted by a warm smile from Kagome's mother.

"I was just checking on you. I hope you liked your room." She said kindly, her smile stayed on her lips.

"The room's fine." Inuyasha said.

"I'm glad," said Mrs. Higurashi. "I really appreciate your kindness. Thank you for being my daughter's guardian and also please extend my gratitude to your leader." She said gratefully.

"I'm not doing this out of kindness, it's my job to protect her. Our leader is the one doing this out of kindness," said Inuyasha in return.

"Both of you are very kind." Mrs. Higurashi insisted. "I'll be going now. Good night to you." She bowed and left to head for her own room.

x

"Was that Kagome's mother?" Kikyou asked Inuyasha when he had returned.

"Yeah. She wanted to thank you, by the way." Inuyasha said, sitting again on his chair.

"Yes, I've heard her. See? Even the family is pretty nice. You wouldn't have a hard time getting along with them." She asserted.

"Sure." Inuyasha said dismissively. "Now where were we?"

Kikyou sighed mentally. Why was Inuyasha always avoiding this kind of conversations? She didn't know the answer to that question. "I said I'll just call you when I have fixed a schedule with Kaede." She said in her usual business manner.

"Kaede?" He repeated. "You mean the old hag who trains mikos here in Japan?" He looked interested.

"Will you cut the insults? You know she's a miko too," said Kikyou, looking miffed with Inuyasha.

"So you're going to make her take miko lessons?"

"She needs them. She's just sixteen and she hasn't got a single idea about being a miko." She answered him. "It will be helpful to her in the near future."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Anything more?" He asked, cocking his head and looking sleepy.

"I guess you need your sleep. Just don't forget to get your mobile phone tomorrow. I'll be calling you anytime." She smiled a little at Inuyasha then added softly, "Good night, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha was already halfway in closing the computer when he heard Kikyou's last words. Did he just hear Kikyou say good night to him? Shrugging to himself, he kept his laptop back inside the drawer and went to lie down on his bed.

_'Women… Why do they have to be so complicated?' _Inuyasha closed his eyes and thought no more. He would have a headache if he did.

x

_'Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty…' _

Kagome continued counting her steps as she walked onward. Here she was walking silently like usual. Only thing was, a certain someone was walking beside her and she couldn't stand the silence between the two of them. She glanced sideways to look at Inuyasha. He remained quiet as ever. _'Can't he say something to start a conversation?' _She thought.

_'Six…'_

Inuyasha continued treading, making sure Kagome was just inches away from him.

_'Seven…' _Inuyasha rolled his eyes when Kagome stole another glimpse at him. _'When will she stop glancing nervously at me?.!' _He complained in his mind.

_'Eight…That's it!' _He was going to say something to stop this. "You want to know something?" He asked, looking seriously at her.

_'Thank you!' _She looked at Inuyasha curiously. "What?"

"Eight." Inuyasha said calmly. "You've been glimpsing nervously at me for fucking eight times and it's been very irritating for me. If you have something to say, spit it out."

"Well I just wanted to ask a few things…" Kagome began, looking at her shoes as she spoke.

"Shoot."

"What do mikos exactly do? Why are they kidnapped?" Many questions kept bugging her last night and she thought that this was the right time for her to get some answers—starting with the basics. She didn't know much about mikos. She only knew they were extra special for something and that they were very rare.

"You really don't know anything, do you?" He looked at her with derisive eyes.

"Do you think I'll be asking if I knew the answer?.!" Kagome snapped back, glowering at him.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, looking away from her and folding his arms over his chest. "Mikos are women gifted with special powers that can purify evil auras. Once a miko has mastered her powers, she can even use it to exterminate youkais. Also, if they train long enough, they can transfer their energy to other objects to use them as weapons." He said without much interest.

"Wow… So you mean I can do _that_?" Kagome asked, her eyes shining with amazement.

"I guess if you train very very very very very veeeeerrry hard," replied Inuyasha lazily. "Mind you, that was still sugar-coated." He reminded her.

"I'm going to purify you one of these days." She threatened, shooting dagger looks at Inuyasha.

"As if I'd let you." He sneered arrogantly. "Anyway, Hell's Gate has been kidnapping mikos for over a year now, they're trying to kidnap all the mikos they can spot so they can take their energy and create the Shikon no Tama."

"Shikon what?"

"Shikon no Tama." He repeated more slowly this time so Kagome would catch it. "It's a powerful gemstone that can be created from very large amount of pure energy coming from mikos. The jewel has the power to grant any wish of the one who possesses it. Hell's Gate wants to use it to rid the world of humans and hanyous."

"How cruel…" said Kagome softly, her eyes reflecting melancholy. "Why do they have to do that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Inuyasha looked at the pale blue sky as he talked. "They see both humans and hanyous as useless and inferior to them. Humans are weak and too soft for them. They see hanyous as an embarrassment to their race. Hanyous are mere trash for them—not worthy to live."

"But they're wrong…" Kagome objected. "It may be true that humans are weak but that's the reason we meet other people to help us overcome those weaknesses—by being together, we become stronger… and hanyous…" She paused to take another glance at Inuyasha. He was still not looking at her. "Hanyous aren't mere trash… I don't see you as mere trash—although you are annoying, violent and unruly. Hanyous are much better than those Hell's Gate fools… _you're_ much better than them…"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, wild amber eyes gazing straight at Kagome's brown pools. "…were you saying something?" He asked somewhat absentmindedly.

Kagome gaped at Inuyasha, unable to believe him. Just when she was saying something good about him, he chose to ignore her. _'Jerk.'_

"So?" Inuyasha was still looking at her, waiting for her.

"I said you're so annoying, violent, unruly _and_ insensitive." Kagome pronounced the words clearly, emphasizing each syllable equally so it would be hard for Inuyasha to miss them.

"Thank you." He smiled wryly at her and replied, "You're annoying too."

x

The remaining five minutes of their walk were spent during their fight on who was more annoying between the two of them. The equally fiery voices of Inuyasha and Kagome echoed throughout the corridors as they proceeded to their classroom.

"You're more annoying!"

"No, you are!"

"I said you are!"

"Shut up! I said you are, wench!"

"I said stop calling me that!"

"Ah! Isn't it too early for the two of you to be having a lover's quarrel?" Someone said at the back of them.

Inuyasha immediately turned around to face an amused Miroku, beaming at the two of them. "Miroku…" He narrowed his eyes at him, growling lowly.

"So, as I thought, you got the job! Congratulations!" Miroku said happily, patting Inuyasha's shoulder vigorously.

He gazed blankly at Kagome for a second before looking back at Miroku. "Yeah, good for me." He drawled like a zombie.

Kagome ignored Inuyasha's insult and instead turned to Miroku. "So you also know about Inuyasha's job?" She presumed then looked back at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha didn't mention you…"

"Inuyasha! How could you?" Miroku said, sounding offended with his partner.

Taking that as his cue, Inuyasha sighed and said unenthusiastically, "Kagome, Miroku. Unfortunately, he's my partner for this mission and he's also here to safeguard you." He turned his head to Miroku and said, "Happy?"

Miroku grinned back at him, a grin that Inuyasha knew very well meant trouble. Now that the formalities were done, Miroku stepped closer to Kagome and grabbed her hands with his.

"Kagome, will you go out with me after classes?" Miroku asked boldly, looking straight into Kagome's eyes.

"Hands off Miroku. She's not going anywhere without me." Inuyasha immediately butted in, pulling Kagome's hands away from his.

"Hey! Since when were you so protective about your charge?" The older boy questioned, looking suspiciously at Inuyasha then down to his hands which were still clasping Kagome's hands protectively. "Don't tell me you—"

"Shut up!" He quickly cut Miroku and started walking away, pulling Kagome with him. "Talk to someone who gives a damn!" He shouted to Miroku before they turned around a corner.

Inuyasha pushed Kagome to the wall and raised a finger at her warningly. "Now, here's an advice. As much as possible stay away from Miroku, okay?"

"Ouch…" She muttered, rubbing the back of her head. "Why did you have to push me?.!" She glowered at the hanyou in front of her.

"Stop griping and listen to me!" He snapped at her. "Never let your guard down around Miroku. He's a dangerous man."

Kagome scrunched her eyebrows and said, "But you just said he's your partner in this mission. How can he be dangerous?"

"Miroku's a womanizer. You shouldn't stay too close to him unless you want to feel something touching your ass." Inuyasha told her, smirking a little. "Understand?"

"Okay," said Kagome, pushing Inuyasha aside so she could move away from the wall. "Excuse me but I want to go inside now." She was about to go but Inuyasha stopped her.

"What?" She asked, looking sharply at him.

"One more thing," said Inuyasha. "You're not allowed to tell anything to anyone aside from your family. You can't tell them that I'm staying at your house." He told her.

"Even Sango?" inquired Kagome.

"Yes."

"But she's my best friend!" The miko protested.

"Best friends are _not_ part of the family." Inuyasha pointed out. "Just follow the orders."

After a few seconds of silence, Kagome conceded. "Fine." She muttered and left Inuyasha alone in the corridor. _'I hate this arrangement dearly.' _She thought as she entered the classroom.

x

Inuyasha hated having classes. He found it very boring to be sitting there, doing nothing except listen to the monotonous sound of their teacher. History. _'Damn it. Why do we have to study this subject?'_ He thought grudgingly, putting his hand under his chin. He suddenly found himself looking at Kagome's back. Even from his point of view, he could see clearly that she was paying attention to the teacher—even taking down some notes. _'What a nerd.' _He thought. All of a sudden, he remembered something that Kagome had told him just that morning.

**"Hanyous aren't mere trash… I don't see you as mere trash—although you are annoying, violent and unruly. Hanyous are much better than those Hell's Gate fools… _you're_ much better than them…" **

_'Did she really mean that?' _He didn't know why he began to think about that but he did. He didn't want to admit it but he somehow felt happy about Kagome's words. Somehow, he felt accepted. Maybe, she really did accept him? Now, he was wondering even more if she meant those words… and that was scary. He quickly stopped himself from thinking further about that certain thought. _'Keh! Who cares if she meant those words?.!' _He mentally said, trying to forget that he once _did_ care.

x

Their next class followed and it turned out that their teacher was absent so they were vacant for that period.

Kagome didn't have anything to do so she just looked out at the window beside her, watching the blue sky and the floating fluffy white clouds. When she glanced to see what Inuyasha was doing, she found him sleeping on his desk. _'Maybe he didn't sleep well last night…' _She thought, returning her eyes towards the window.

"So would you go eat lunch with me again, dear Sango?"

Sango rolled her chocolate brown eyes before looking over her shoulder and at Miroku. "You wish." She glared at him. "I'm not eating with you for the rest of my whole life!"

"You're so pretty when you're glaring at me," commented Miroku. "Are you doing that on purpose to turn me on? Because if you are, you're doing a pretty good job." He winked at her.

Sango glared more intensely at him. "I'm _not_ doing this on purpose, you asshole! I'm doing this because you infuriate me." She said coldly before turning her head away.

"Either way, you're still pretty." Miroku said, smiling smugly at Sango's back. He loved annoying Sango very much.

Sango sighed exasperatedly and looked at Kagome. "Kagome, can you tell the bastard sitting behind me that will he please shut up?"

Kagome didn't take her eyes off the sky. "Miroku, you heard Sango." She said lazily.

Of course, he did but he still didn't shut up. That was the reason why Sango stood up and walked out of the room. Too bad for her, Miroku still followed her.

_'At last…' _Kagome sighed, smiling to herself. _'Now I can have my peace.'_

"Psst! Kagome!"

Kagome turned her head to see who had called her. It was Yuka, one of her classmates.

"Can I ask you something?" Yuka sat on Sango's chair, her eyes sparkled excited as she looked at Kagome.

"…sure."

"Is there something going on between you and Inuyasha?"

Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Huh?" She managed to say, looking utterly horrified at her classmate's words.

"It's just that someone saw you together on your way to school so we thought…" She looked at Inuyasha but he still had his face down on his table.

"Oh! That!" She tried to laugh a little but it looked more like a grimace. "His house is near mine so we thought it would be okay if we went to school together."

Yuka smiled at Kagome. "Oh, I see… But you two look good together, don't you think so?" She said teasingly.

Kagome felt her stomach turn upside-down but she tried to laugh again—this time it did came out a little like that. "I never noticed." _'He's a jerk! How can we look good together?.!' _She thought as she pictured herself together with Inuyasha. _'No way.' _She ripped the picture from her mind immediately.

"You should try considering. Inuyasha's so cute, half of our class actually has a crush on him." Yuka stood up and winked at Kagome before she went to join her friends on the other side of the room.

_'Try considering?' _She looked at Inuyasha and made a face which clearly said she wasn't interested. "Maybe they think he's a puppy that's why they think he's cute." She muttered to herself and stood up to go outside.

x

"Great! Now people are actually thinking that there's something going on between us because he keeps on sticking around me. I really hate this arrangement." She fixed her skirt and flushed the toilet. "It's a good thing he isn't following m—" She froze in her position the moment she opened the door of the cubicle she had been using. A man was standing right in front of her—to be exact, Inuyasha was standing in front of her—_inside _the girls' bathroom. "What are you doing HERE?.!.?.!" She burst out, glowering at him fiercely.

Inuyasha glared back at once. "What do you think are you doing?.!" He also shouted.

"What does it look like to you?.! I just used the toilet, you idiot!" She quickly got Inuyasha's hand and tugged him out of the girls' restroom. "What were you doing there?.!" She repeated, still acting hysterical.

"You stupid bitch! I came looking for you! Who said you were allowed to go out of the room without me?.!" He shouted back, pulling his hand away from her grip.

"Can't you see this?.!" She tapped the sign hanging on the door. "Girls' bathroom! Just why did you have to enter?.!"

"And where do you expect me to look for you?.! In the boys' bathroom?.!" Inuyasha said angrily. He was annoyed with her—very much. "Why do you have to be so fucking difficult?"

"Why do you have to follow me everywhere?.!" She questioned back, seething with anger.

Inuyasha slumped his back as he heaved out a sigh of exasperation. "Because it's my job to follow you around." He said, looking at Kagome with irritated eyes. "Isn't it clear yet?"

"Can't I have a bit of privacy?" Kagome shot him an equally vexed look.

"I didn't barge inside the cubicle, did I?" He pointed out.

"You call that _privacy_?" She said, looking crossly at Inuyasha. _'Why do I have to talk to this blockhead?.!' _

"Of course." He replied instantly.

"Wow, thanks." She returned dryly.

Inuyasha grinned at her before taking her hand. "Come on, our next class will be starting."

x

"INUYASHA! I SAID DON'T FOLLOW ME ANYMORE!" Kagome shrieked, hands on her waist. "I'm going to the girls' changing room! You can't go in there!"

"Do you want to change outside then?.!" Inuyasha asked her.

"I'm changing inside! Just don't follow me this time!" She said to him.

"I told you it's my j—"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome glared at him venomously.

Inuyasha growled inwardly. "What?.!"

Kagome was tired of his excuses. She wasn't going to do everything that he said. "Do you really have to do this? Do you always have to see me? It's not like I will be kidnapped inside that room! I won't be long, okay? Just give me five minutes." She waited for Inuyasha's answer, praying hard that he would finally agree.

Inuyasha studied Kagome for a while. Her eyes told him that she wouldn't accept no for an answer. "Fine!" He finally said.

"Really?.!" Kagome's anger vanished immediately.

"Yeah."

"That's great! I promise I won't take long!" She said with a bright smile, hurrying towards the changing room.

Inuyasha was still following her but she didn't seem to mind anymore. "Five minutes, okay?" Inuyasha reminded her. "If you won't come out by then, I'll go inside no matter what happens!"

"Okay, I got it," said Kagome, turning the knob of the door before entering.

x

After their P.E. classes, Inuyasha and Kagome had the same agreement.

"I'll be up in five minutes." Kagome said to Inuyasha. Both of them were standing in front of the girls' changing room.

"Okay," said Inuyasha. "I'll just see you in the classroom?"

"Okay." Kagome replied and turned around.

"Kagome,"

"Hm?" She turned around and waited for what he had to say.

"You can make it fifteen minutes this time." Inuyasha said.

Kagome's eyes widened a bit in surprise. Was Inuyasha being kind to her? "Fifteen?" She repeated. "So you're giving me more time?"

"Keh! What choice do I have?.!" Inuyasha scoffed, looking away from Kagome. "You need to groom yourself! You're sweating very much! I don't want to seat behind a smelly person!"

_'And I thought he was being nice to me… that jerk!' _Kagome thought, feeling pissed off. "I hate you so much."

"I know," replied Inuyasha then smirked at her. "I'll be going now." And he left to go to the boys' changing room.

_'Jerk.'_

x

"Kagome! Hey! You've been there for sixteen minutes already! Come out!"

"Kagome, is that Inuyasha shouting?" Sango asked as she finished putting her P.E. uniform inside her bag.

Kagome sighed. "Yeah, that's him all right."

"Kagome! Your time is up!" Inuyasha called out again.

"Kagome, it seems like Inuyasha's obsessed with you." Ayumi said, teasing her classmate. "He keeps on following you around."

"Is he your boyfriend?" asked Eri excitedly.

"I thought you were going to wait for me in the classroom?" Kagome shouted back at Inuyasha then turned to Eri. "He's _not _my boyfriend!" She told her.

"Just get the hell out of there now, wench!" He yelled back at her. "Or I'll break the damn door and go in there!"

"If he were really my boyfriend, he shouldn't be calling me wench." Kagome said to Eri. "I'm coming, okay?.! Stop acting so violent! You're getting on my nerves!" She shrieked at him.

"Maybe it's just a term of endearment," commented Ayumi.

"Yeah, right." Kagome muttered and gripped the doorknob.

"Just why the hell do you have to take so fucking long?.!" demanded Inuyasha the moment the door opened.

"I didn't tell you to wait for me." Kagome argued, walking faster so she could escape Inuyasha. She was clenching her hands tightly as she walked away.

"I told you it's—"

That was it. Kagome snapped. She stopped in her tracks but didn't dare look over her shoulder. She didn't want to see Inuyasha's annoying face. "I know. It's included in your job." She cut him, her voice only loud enough for Inuyasha to hear. If only Inuyasha could see her eyes, they were so angry—just like an uncontrollable fire. "It's also included in your job never to be nice to me, always shout at me, call me names and always push me around like…" Suddenly, she didn't have any strength to carry on. _'Like I'm just a thing…' _Her heart somehow ached at that thought and she wanted so much to cry but she stopped herself. She wasn't going to cry in front of Inuyasha Tsuzuki. Instead, she just inhaled deeply."Every time I talk to you, it always has to include a fight," said Kagome softly then breathed out. "I'm tired." With that said, she began walking again. This time, she was not hurrying or escaping Inuyasha. _'Let him be angry. He's very good at it anyway…' _thought Kagome as she unclenched her hands slowly.

Inuyasha just walked behind her silently, deep in his own thoughts. _'Just who the hell does she think she is?.!' _He thought in his mind. _'I'm protecting her and yet all she does is complain about it! What a pain!'_

A few meters behind Inuyasha and Kagome, Sango, Yuka, Eri and Ayumi were walking silently, all having their own thoughts.

_'Kagome, are you all right? I hope you are…'_

_'Is Inuyasha really not Kagome's boyfriend? She's lying to me!'_

_'I wonder what's the reason of Kagome and Inuyasha's quarrel…'_

_'Oh no! I still haven't finished reading that book for our quiz today! Oh wait—I must be thinking about Kagome too...' _

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Okay, just a few statements. I'm really sorry for being late and I hope you'll have more patience with me. Thank you so much for reading! A silly game! Guess who thought about those four thoughts I wrote on the last part... in order! Hehe... Pretty easy!

Just a few comments and clarifications for my beloved readers…

**_You like long reviews, eh?_**

They're my favorite kind of reviews but I still love the other types of reviews… even constructive criticisms—except flames with no sense. Ahem!

**_Is Inuyasha going to fall head over heels for Kagome? _**

Who said this was an Inu/Kag fanfic? –opens profile for The Shadow and sees the pairing- Oh, yeah… it is. Stay, my other fanfic, took a loooooooong way before Inuyasha actually admitted his feelings for Kagome. I think this fic will also take a long, zigzag, up and down ride before Inuyasha admits. Clue: Kikyou.

**_I like how you got Kikyou set up, I use to be like a big hater of Kikyou than I like read this fanfic and yeah I have nothing against her now, now I just wish that I knew that I didn't hate her before I wrote my story._**

Well… I used to hate Kikyou too but now that I've watched more of Inuyasha, I begin to understand how she feels—but still, Inuyasha is for Kagome. I'm so glad I made you change your mind about Kikyou. A lot of people judge her before they even watch the whole Inuyasha series… Wait! Did I just say something nice about Kikyou? -.- Wow…

**_I'm so loving it! LOL! Did they enter the wrong house? I'm starting to doubt, since both Inuyasha and Kagome are suspecting something...hehe...is Hell's Gate impersonating Kag-chan's family members?_**

Hehe… I'll leave you to decide on that. About Hell's Gate, they're too busy looking for mikos all around the world to impersonate Kag-chan's family… but we can never tell! LOL!

**_If they were in the right one, Grandpa Higurashi would have tried purifying Inuyasha the moment he saw him!gasp_**

No, he wouldn't purify Inuyasha because in the setting of this story, youkais and human are living together—although I can't say they live _harmoniously_. Being a hanyou, Inuyasha receives bad treatment from heartless and insensitive people. They often avoid him or scorn at him but Kagome's family accepted him (or perhaps sympathized him) since they are nice and good… No purifying because they are used to seeing youkais _and _hanyous.

**_I guess Kagome doesn't know about her powers huh? What a shame._**

Yes, she's completely innocent about her powers but who could blame her? Miko powers don't actually have signs. Kagome's powers had just started that year that was why they (Solferis) only detected her lately… The Inuyasha series started that way too, right?

**_Can you put some more random humor in it? You know, like something very stupid pops out of nowhere?_**

Um… hehe… I'll think about it… I think I'll be able to do that… Just wait for it.

**_If everyone who had me on author alert reviewed for me I'd have the same amount as you did. But they don't. _**

Hehe… you're not alone! If everyone in my author's alert reviewed, I'd be so happy, I'd update every other day! Unfortunately, they don't… -sigh- Don't lose hope though, time will come that people will appreciate your work! I had to wait too, you know.

**_Great chapter, I'm not surprised the family took Inuyasha so well, although Jii-chan's attitude did, well what can I say this an AU fic..._**

You made me think about the characterization of Kagome's family so I changed it a bit… About jiichan, I think he's a nice grandfather and all he wanted was to ensure Kagome's safety. Inuyasha series didn't show much of jiichan but I think he's sort of comical at times so… he ended up like that in my story.

**_This new idea is pretty good too. The only thing the bugs me is how come that Inuyasha is so young and still an agent? Is it just a really good coincidence so he could enroll in Kagome's school or there's some catch behind it?_**

Inuyasha is seventeen AND a hanyou. If you're a hanyou, age doesn't matter because your strength and intelligence is much like that of a twenty-four-year-old human. It's not good consequence but I made him young to make a good pairing. I mean I can't pair Kagome (16 years old) with Inuyasha if he's twenty-something already… I don't approve to large age gaps… And I want Inuyasha to be acted like in the series so I made his age close to that in the series so I could picture it more easily. Hehe… OR I just feel like making him seventeen. LOL!

**_What kind of clothes is Inu wearing? I mean he can't exactly be wearing his red outfit... (I forgot what it was called.. )_**

Um, it's called _haori_ and _hakama_. In this story, Inuyasha is wearing normal clothes. Typical clothes those young men of his age wear. You know, shirts, pants, etc…


	4. One Step Forward

A/N: I know. Once more, I am beginning to be oh so late. This—again—is not my fault. Well, not entirely my fault. School isn't lighter. We're like having tests every other week! Argh… It's really depressing, good thing I still have my reviewers to make me happy! Thank you very much for all the reviews you left! They helped me a lot.

x

Disclaimer: Yes, I own a dog and a pair of guinea pigs. As for Inuyasha, I'm still working on it. For now, nope is my answer.

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 4

**_One Step Forward_**

x

x

x

x

x

Another boring class. Kagome tried very hard to listen to the teacher lecturing at the front but her mind seemed fully occupied by Inuyasha. She didn't dare look behind her because she knew that he would just smirk at her and she would probably hit him when he did that. _'I hate this arrangement! Of all the people in Solferis, why does it have to be this arrogant jerk?.!' _She thought with utmost irritation, her pen busy drawing lines on her notebook.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Sango whispered to her seatmate.

"Sure I am." She answered without lifting her head from her drawing.

"So what are you doing?" asked Sango curiously, looking at Kagome's hand that was covering her whole drawing.

"Just drawing." She muttered, still busy finishing her drawing.

"Drawing what?"

Kagome smiled at her work. "A wish." She answered Sango, removing her hand to let her friend see.

"Wish?" Sango repeated then looked at the drawing. There was a schoolgirl wearing the same green and white uniform as them stepping on a boy with long hair_ and_ dog ears. Around his neck was a dog leash, which was held by the girl. "Is that…um, Inuyasha?" She asked uncertainly.

Kagome smiled. "No… That's Inuyasha _and_ me." She corrected, finally looking at Inuyasha. As Kagome had expected, he smirked at her—and instead of getting ticked off, she smirked back. She loved the way Inuyasha's eyes suddenly burst into flames. It meant only one thing—Kagome Higurashi had annoyed the great Inuyasha Tsuzuki. The smirk on her lips didn't vanish as she faced the front again and thought,_ 'We're never going to get along—not with his superior arrogance and ego. Never.' _

Inuyasha fought really hard to refrain himself from shouting at Kagome and demanding to her what was her problem._ 'Yes, definitely. That miko and I are never going to get along. If she thinks she's so clever—well, she's deadly mistaken.' _thought Inuyasha, glaring at the girl sitting in front of him. He quickly tore a piece of paper from his notebook and wrote a message for Kagome. He didn't bother to fold it and tapped Kagome's shoulder harder than necessary.

Kagome grabbed the note quickly without even looking at him, somehow she had an idea of what was written on the paper.

_What the fucking hell is your freaking problem, WENCH?.!_

Just as she thought. She wrote down four words in return.

_What is YOUR problem?_

Inuyasha's eyes flared furiously after reading Kagome's reply. He scratched his pen along the words to erase them and wrote down another sentence.

_Answer my damn question PROPERLY!_

Kagome glowered at the paper for a long time before scribbling her answer. She turned around and faced Inuyasha, making sure she met his eyes before placing the paper on Inuyasha's desk. "Don't pass me any more notes or else…" She threatened, her whole face seething.

Inuyasha pretended not to hear her threat and read her answer.

_Fine. I don't have any problem. YOU are the one who started this, remember?_

Inuyasha was not going to have this treatment from her. _'I started it? The hell!' _Inuyasha scribbled something on the paper and passed it again to Kagome.

But she didn't take it.

_'Bitch, I said take it!' _He tapped on Kagome's shoulder harder to make her know that he wasn't going to be ignored.

Kagome closed her eyes, trying to ignore the persistent tapping on her shoulder. _'That's it!' _She seized the paper in Inuyasha's hand and read it.

_STOP GIVING ME THAT SHIT AND ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!_

_'Why does he have to swear even in written communication?' _The young miko thought, crumpling the paper and placing it in her bag. She really hoped her conversation with Inuyasha was over.

Of course, Inuyasha was far from over. He ripped another piece of paper from his notebook and jotted down another message.

_I said answer me!_

Still, Kagome ignored him.

That was the reason why Inuyasha made another message.

_If you don't answer this one, I swear you'll pay dearly!_

And again, another…

_What the hell is your problem? Just fucking answer me! _

Kagome was having a large pile of crumpled paper in her bag but she didn't care even a bit. Even if Inuyasha spent his whole notebook writing notes to her, she would never answer him.

Inuyasha was getting more and more frustrated. Growling inwardly, he started to write on another piece of paper.

_I'm getting tired of writing. This will be the last message and if you still won't answer this one, you're so dead after classes!_

He was surprised to see the piece of paper being returned to him shortly. _'Finally!' _He thought, grasping the paper to see a single word written below his own writing.

_Good._

Inuyasha closed his eyes and crushed the paper in his hand. _'She's so dead.' _He promised to himself, waiting for the class bell to ring intolerantly.

_Rrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggg!_

Kagome sighed mentally, thanking that their tormenting day at school was finally over. She returned her notebook in her bag and stood up, ready to leave. She turned her head to look at Inuyasha and found that he was staring at her, like his eyes said, 'Now, you'll die.'

Scary. She quickly looked away but still she felt his eyes glaring steadfastly at her. She now considered jumping off the window to escape Inuyasha. Dying seemed like a better idea than talking to the pissed off hanyou at her back.

"Hey, Kagome! After we finish buying some school things, can we go to McDonald's and grab something to eat? I really want to have some fries!" said Sango, slinging her backpack on her shoulder.

All of a sudden, Kagome's face looked horror-stricken. _'Oh no! I forgot to tell Inuyasha! We are supposed to buy some school stuff this afternoon!' _Now, she was sure that Inuyasha would never allow her to go. After ticking him off like that…

"So, shall we go?" Ayumi asked, looking at Kagome worriedly. "You look troubled, Kagome."

"Um… Give me a few minutes." She told her friends and went to Inuyasha, who had finally quitted glowering at her and was now talking to Miroku in a low voice at the corner near the door.

Inuyasha immediately noticed Kagome standing beside him so he turned his head to look at her. "What do you want?" He looked like he was trying really hard not to bite her head off.

"Well…" started Kagome, looking discouraged by the way Inuyasha greeted her. Maybe she should just forget it? But she needed to buy a new sketchpad for tomorrow's activity and also a new notebook for Mathematics. She needed to organize her notes in every Mathematics lesson they had or she'd surely fail the upcoming test that week. In order to save herself from another failure in the said subject, she gathered all of her courage and spoke to Inuyasha. "Can I please go to the store to buy some stuff I really really need for tomorrow?" She used her most polite tone, hoping that it would make Inuyasha agree.

By the way Inuyasha's eyes stared at Kagome, it apparently showed a negative response. "Sango and the others are going with me." She pointed to her friends, who were looking curiously at them. "And we promise we won't be long." She added, crossing her fingers mentally as she waited for Inuyasha's answer.

Inuyasha looked sideways at Miroku but Miroku only shrugged at him. "You're forgetting something, wench." He reminded her, still feeling annoyed that he didn't get the answer he wanted from her during their note passing.

"Okay!" Kagome gave up. This was the last option she had to get Inuyasha's assent. "You can come with us. So you'll let me go now, right?"

His answer was quick and clear. "No."

"What?.!" Kagome burst out. "Why?.!"

"Because I don't want to." The hanyou readjusted his bag on his shoulder and added, "I have to go somewhere."

"Well then, go ahead with your plan and go to that place—wherever that is." She said and turned on her heel, a wide smile on her lips as she went to her desk to retrieve her bag. "And I'll go to the bookstore _without_ you."

Wow… Without you. She loved the sound of those two words.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, trying to control his rising temper. This girl definitely didn't know when to stop. He raised a hand at Miroku, telling him to wait there, and went to follow Kagome.

"Bitch, you are _not_ going anywhere." He emphasized the word 'not', growling dangerously at her.

"Of course I am!" Kagome replied with certainty. She signaled for her friends to wait a bit more. She was going to get out of this soon.

"Don't try me." He warned her, amber eyes fixed on her with irritation.

"Too bad." Kagome said, feigning a frown. "I can't help it. Now, why don't you go ahead and—Hey! What do you think are you doing?.!" She quickly snatched her bag before Inuyasha grabbed her wrist tightly and began dragging her towards the door.

Of course, Kagome still didn't give up. "Inuyasha! I really need to go and buy those things! If I don't get a sketchpad and a new graphing notebook for Mathematics today, I'm going to be dead tomorrow!" She kept on trying to pry Inuyasha's sturdy grip from her wrist but she remained unsuccessful. "And stop pulling me!"

Inuyasha continued walking, hauling Kagome behind him. "Just buy those things next time. Today, you have no choice but to go with me." He stated without even looking at her.

"But I need them tomorrow!" Kagome reasoned out. "Why don't we just go wherever you want to take me tomorrow?"

"I don't give a damn! We're going today." Inuyasha insisted, handing Miroku some money as he passed him. "You know what to do. Call me when you're done." He instructed Miroku.

"Sure." Miroku pocketed the money, a small smile played on his lips as he looked at Inuyasha.

"Stop staring at me, it's annoying me." Inuyasha griped, looking away from him.

"I wonder why." Miroku replied, looking amused.

"Keh!"

"Okay…" Kagome suddenly said, looking like she had just listened to a Martian and a dog talk. "Enough of the weird conversation and will you help me out Miroku?" She looked at Miroku hopefully.

"Sorry but I can't help you, Kagome." Miroku said, looking apologetic. "Just go with Inuyasha for your own good, okay?"

"For my own good?" Kagome repeated. "This guy is going to get me into trouble tomorrow." She said, pointing an accusing finger at Inuyasha.

"And this guy is going to bite that finger off if you don't shut up." Inuyasha retaliated, pushing Kagome's finger aside roughly. "Now let's go." He began tugging on Kagome again, disregarding Kagome's screams of protest echoing through the corridor as they walked.

"Kagome, where are you going?" Sango asked, looking worriedly at her friend being pulled by Inuyasha.

"Sorry, Sango! I forgot I have to go somewhere else today!" Kagome answered back.

"Is it a date with Inuyasha?.!" Eri asked, looking thrilled all of a sudden.

"NO!" Kagome replied, looking terrified with the idea.

"Good luck on your date, Kagome!" Ayumi cheered, waving her hand in the air happily.

"I said I'm not going on a date, okay?" Kagome couldn't believe her friends thought she was going on a date when Inuyasha was actually pulling her like a dog.

"Okay! We'll call you later to ask how the date went!" Yuka called out before Inuyasha and Kagome disappeared around the corner.

Kagome sighed in surrender. _'It's useless. They never listen to me.' _She thought in despair. _'How exactly did Yuka mistake 'I'm not going on a date, okay?' for 'Call me later to ask how the date went, okay?' She seriously has some ear defect.'_

x

"Are you sure those three are okay?" Miroku asked Sango, pointing to Yuka, Eri and Ayumi, who were currently talking about Inuyasha and Kagome's nonexistent date.

"They just love to see Inuyasha and Kagome together." Sango explained. "I think they're even planning to build a fans club for the two of them."

"Yeah, I think they would love to do that." Miroku commented, smiling at Sango. "So, shall we go to the store together? I'll treat you some snack afterwards."

"Sure." Sango smiled back.

"You mean it?" Miroku couldn't believe his luck.

"As long as you mean the treating part." Sango replied with a smile.

"Of course!"

"Okay, you can go with us." Sango agreed and started walking.

"Wait—us?" Miroku said, realizing something. "You mean—"

"Hey! Come on let's go!" Sango said, going to her friends. "Miroku's going to go with us and he's treating _all of us_ to McDonald's! Isn't that great?"

And that was the time Miroku stopped thinking that Sango had just agreed to go out with him.

x

"Inuyasha, since I'm willing to go with you now, can you stop dragging me?" Kagome said, as they went past the school gate. "If you still haven't noticed, my wrist is about to break thanks to you."

Inuyasha unceremoniously dropped Kagome's hand after saying, "Keh!"

"Thank you." She muttered, massaging her wrist slowly, glad that her wrist wasn't broken. "So will you tell me where we're going?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't feel like telling you."

"See? I don't get any good in this." Kagome complained while she walked beside Inuyasha. "I don't get to buy the things I need for tomorrow, I don't get to know where we're going and I get stuck with an annoying insensitive jerk! Why is life so unfair?"

"Will you shut up?.!" Inuyasha snapped, feeling irritated by Kagome's constant ranting.

"Great! Now, I'm not even allowed to talk?.!" Kagome was feeling the same as Inuyasha. She didn't like Inuyasha's company at all. "Why are we walking anyway? Can't we ride the bus or something?"

Inuyasha smacked his palm on his forehead lightly, cursing under his breath. "You really can't shut up, can you?" He looked at her bitterly.

"Sorry but no," answered Kagome. "It's your choice to bring me with you. Deal with the consequences." She grinned at him.

"Let's make things clear." He stated. "It is not my decision to bring you with me. Again, this is part of my job that I have to be around you all the time in case that Hell's Gate tries to kidnap you. That is also the reason why we're walking. It's harder to escape if we're riding a bus and a lot of innocent people might get hurt."

"In that case, I won't complain anymore." Kagome said, looking at her shoes as she walked.

Silence followed and Inuyasha was more than grateful that Kagome had finally stopped talking.

"Inuyasha,"

Inuyasha sighed mentally. His precious silence was once again disrupted.

"Where are we going?"

"Would it kill you if you didn't know?.!" Inuyasha grumbled, throwing an irritated look at Kagome.

"Would it kill you if you told me?.!" Kagome argued back, matching Inuyasha's exasperated look.

"Yes!"

"So you wouldn't tell me?" asked Kagome, looking disappointed.

"I'm too young to die." Inuyasha reasoned, smirking at the girl walking next to him.

"But you wouldn't die."

"Oh yes I will!"

"If you won't tell me, I won't shut up!" She threatened him, knowing that Inuyasha hated that.

"Fine!" Inuyasha finally gave in, wanting to end their conversation urgently. "We're going to my apartment! There! And for the nth time, can you finally shut up?" He snarled at her.

"Why are we—"

"If you don't fucking shut up, I'll kill you!" He told her warningly. Couldn't she just leave him alone? Even for just five minutes? He mentally added that on his list of reasons why he should quit this mission. He thought that if he got a hundred reasons to present before Kikyou, she might consider letting him quit.

Unfortunately, Kagome seemed threat-proof and threatening her only triggered her to talk even more. "You can't kill me," said Kagome logically. "It's your duty to protect me, right?"

"Then I'll leave you here!" Inuyasha could feel insanity's clutches taking him. _'This is all Kikyou's fault!' _

"You can't do that either." She returned, still looking unbothered by his empty threats. "We're supposed to stick with each other. That's also included in your job." She couldn't help but enjoy infuriating Inuyasha. _'He deserves it because he always makes me miserable!'_

Inuyasha suddenly pulled Kagome and swiftly turned right, pushing Kagome to a wall. _'If she thinks she can play with me, she's dead mistaken.' _A smirk lightened his features, looking straight at the miko's face.

"What?" Kagome said, glaring at him.

"If another word passes that mouth of yours, I'm going to shut you up _myself_." Inuyasha said, his eyes glinting with a promise. "By _kissing_ _you_." Inuyasha felt triumphant as he saw the horror on Kagome's face. _'Hah! Take that!'_

Kagome quickly got over her shock and intensified her glare. "You can't do—"

"It's not included in my job description that I can't kiss you." He said coolly, looking smug with that smirk plastered on his face.

"I'll shout if you try!" Kagome warned him, inching away from him.

"Scared?" Inuyasha rested his hand on the wall to block Kagome's way of escape, studying her face closely.

"You wish." Kagome said, smirking back at him. "I know an empty threat when I hear one, Inuyasha."

"So you do want me to kiss you…" Inuyasha interpreted, inching forward that made his silvery white mane tickle Kagome's face.

"Oh look!" Kagome suddenly pointed at her right, trying to avert Inuyasha's attention from her.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her and said, "Don't you think that was a bit too cliché?"

Kagome sighed. "Yeah, I know. It was lame." She said, looking downcast. "Why don't we try this one?" She stepped on Inuyasha's foot—_very_ hard.

"Ouch!" Inuyasha's hands flew to his foot and he began jumping on one foot. "Bitch, what the hell was that for?.!"

"That was for being such a jerk!" She shouted, her face red in anger. _'He really tried to kiss me! That jerk!' _She thought, watching Inuyasha jumping around in circles. "Try doing it again and I will report you for harassment!"

Inuyasha quitted hopping and looked at her incredulously. "Hey! I should be the one reporting you!" He countered. "You _attacked_ me!"

"That was self-defense, you idiot!" She said, defending herself.

"Keh! I don't want to talk to you anymore!" Inuyasha said dismissively, walking away from her.

"Fine! It's not like I _love_ talking to you!" She replied, following him silently.

And that was how Inuyasha finally got his peace.

x

After half an hour's walk, Inuyasha and Kagome finally reached their destination.

Kagome looked up, counting the floors of the grayish building with her eyes. "Wow… this is sure high." She commented, stopping her count when she reached twenty and she wasn't done yet.

Inuyasha didn't give any comment but instead, he went inside the building.

"So what floor are you in?" She asked casually, looking for the elevator. She found it on the right side.

With an 'Out of Order' sign.

Then came Inuyasha's composed answer. "Top floor." He walked towards the stairs but stopped at the bottom of the staircase. "Two options. One, climb the stairs. Two, I carry you." He stated and waited for her decision.

Kagome stared at the staircase and followed it as it went higher and higher. "Is the elevator always out of order?" She asked Inuyasha.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I rarely use them. It's faster if I jump using the fire exit." He pointed at the door beside the stairs with the red letters that said, 'FIRE EXIT'.

"And how many floors exactly does this building have?" She questioned as if that would be the basis of her choice.

"Twenty-three?" Inuyasha guessed uncaringly. "No, I think it's twenty-five. I never counted."

"Let's take the stairs." Kagome finally decided, not getting any useful information from Inuyasha's answers.

"Okay."

x

"Ninth floor." Kagome gasped, holding onto the bar of the stairs as she tried to catch her breath.

"Come on," said Inuyasha, looking as energetic as before. "Or do you want me to carry you already?"

"No, thank you." Kagome refused, starting to go up the steps again.

"Proud bitch." Inuyasha muttered under his breath before following her.

When they reached the twelfth floor, Kagome sat on a step and sighed. _'My legs are aching.' _She thought, giving her legs a massage.

"I told you, I'll just carry you." Inuyasha said, looking down at her. "I know you're tired so just let me help you out."

"Just why did you have to choose the top floor anyway?" Kagome said, standing up again.

"It has a nice view at night," answered Inuyasha, offering his back to her. "You should have just let me carry you from the start, you know."

"Try anything on me and I promise I'll sue you." She warned him before slowly climbing on his back.

"Keh! As if I really _like_ to try anything on you." He answered back, looking at her with a smirk as he supported her legs so she wouldn't fall off.

"I'm just clearing things." Kagome told him, looking away from him but holding onto his shoulders tightly.

"Whatever."

Inuyasha walked to the fire exit and looked down. "Wow, imagine if I _accidentally_ drop you." He whistled then looked at Kagome with a playful smile on his lips.

"I'll die, splash blood on the street and make you happy." Kagome recited like it was written on a book.

"Right!" Inuyasha said happily and leaped high.

Kagome didn't scream as they ascended. She just closed her eyes and remained silent, hoping that it would end soon.

After five great jumps, Inuyasha managed to reach the topmost floor and opened the fire exit door. "We're here." He announced, putting Kagome gently to her feet after reaching the farthest door on the highest level. "Now that wasn't so bad, right?" He rummaged his bag for his keys.

"Do you live here alone?" Kagome asked all of a sudden, looking at the white door Inuyasha was opening with interest.

"Yeah, Miroku lives on the seventh floor." Inuyasha turned the knob and pushed the door open. He went inside and headed for his room automatically. "Just sit down and watch TV. I'll just look for something." He told her before disappearing behind the door.

Kagome looked around and was shocked to see Inuyasha's apartment so organized. "Are you sure you live here?" She asked, looking at the clean kitchen and the well-furnished living room. "You even have a complete home entertainment system!" She gasped, sitting on the black leather couch and turning on the television to watch something.

"What?.! Do you expect me to be broke?" Inuyasha asked, still not remembering where he placed his mobile phone. "I won't persist on this kind of job if the pay isn't great." Okay, so he lied when he told Kikyou that he was being underpaid. Actually, Kikyou was paying him more than enough. "Imagine, I have to live every day of my life stuck with a bossy, proud and _very_ talkative wench like you."

"Figures," said Kagome in return, switching the TV off when she found nothing interesting to watch. "Then I should be getting salary too."

"You won't be getting as much as I do though," replied Inuyasha, going out of his room. "I can't find my cell phone! Where is it?.!" He headed to the kitchen, opening the fridge to look for the missing article there. He swore he remembered putting it in one of the compartments there.

"Want me to help you?" Kagome asked, standing up and going to the kitchen counter. "Why are you looking inside the fridge?"

"I think I placed it here somewhere." Inuyasha muttered, continuing to open all of the compartments. "Just stay put, I can handle it."

After rummaging through his fridge, he still remained unsuccessful. "Damn! This is taking so long!" Inuyasha went back to his room, thinking of having a second look in there.

"How about we call your phone?" Kagome suggested, following Inuyasha in his room since she had nothing else to do.

"It's useless, my phone is turned off." Inuyasha told her, pulling the cover of his bed once again to search there.

"Wow, even your room is arranged pretty well." Kagome complimented, looking around the nicely done room.

A huge dressing cabinet was on the right corner, not far from it was a door that led to the bathroom, a large bed was on the left corner and a sliding glass door that led to the terrace was in front of her. Kagome looked at the bedside table and saw a picture of a woman on a picture frame. She made a gesture to reach for it when—

"Don't touch it!" Inuyasha snapped, grabbing the picture before Kagome got it. He quickly opened a drawer and placed the picture frame carefully inside it.

Even though Kagome wasn't able to touch the picture, she would never forget the face of the woman. Her face was so beautiful. Her hair was flowing like the midnight starless sky. Her eyes were warm and showed nothing but kindness, her whole face lighting up with her peaceful contented smile. "Was that your… mother?"

Inuyasha avoided Kagome's eyes before nodding.

_'So that's why Inuyasha's a hanyou… his mother was a human…'_ She thought, feeling enlightened. "Where is she now?"

"She died when I was six." Inuyasha answered softly, replacing the blanket over his bed.

"I also lost my father when I was eight." Kagome said in return, not knowing what to say in this kind of situation.

"Is this the part where we sympathize each other and hug each other?" Inuyasha said, looking expectantly at Kagome.

"No," said Kagome with a frown. "This is the time where I glare at you and say that you're such a jerk!" She turned away from Inuyasha and walked towards the sliding door to watch the sun that was starting to set.

Inuyasha was going to smirk at her if only he hadn't sensed a foreboding aura around them. He quickly pulled Kagome and said, "Don't go there!"

Inuyasha yanked Kagome so hard that she lost her balance and stumbled on the bed. It happened so fast that she was shocked a bit when she found herself staring at the ceiling.

Inuyasha looked outside the glass door, his eyes widening in alarm. "Oh shit!" He instantly went to Kagome and hugged her, making sure that her body was covered with his body.

"Inuyasha, what—"

Kagome wasn't able to finish her sentence anymore. The sounds of shattering glass and dropping stones on the floor alerted her. "Inu—"

"Ssshh!" Inuyasha silenced her, untangling his hands from her. "Don't move." He instructed her, lifting his head to look behind him. The sliding door was gone and Inuyasha could sense the evil aura of at least five youkais inside his apartment. He carefully stood up, looking around him and preparing for any attack that might come. "Can you stand up?" He glanced at Kagome, who was still lying on the bed.

"Yeah, I think so." She slowly went to her feet, staying close to Inuyasha. "What happened?" She asked worriedly, looking at the broken glasses all over the room. She noticed something red on the floor next to her and looked up. "Inuyasha! You're bleeding!" She exclaimed, examining the wound on Inuyasha's back. Blood from Inuyasha's wound was making Inuyasha's black uniform even darker.

"No time for that!" He snatched her hand away from his back and pushed her towards the dresser. "Hide there while I finish them off and try not to breathe much. You see those small capsules?" He pointed to the stone-like things lying on the floor besides the broken glass. "They contain sleeping gas and soon they're going to dissipate. If you inhale too much, your body will be paralyzed and you'll fall unconscious. So don't go outside and stay in there."

Kagome looked hesitant to leave Inuyasha all alone to face the enemies. "But how about you?"

"I'm a hanyou. My system's different from yours." He took out a gun that was hidden in a secret compartment of his cabinet and checked the ammunition. _'Good.'_

"But are you sure that—"

"You'll just get in the way." Inuyasha said and closed the door immediately to stop Kagome from answering back.

_'I'll just get in the way?.!' _Kagome would have retaliated if they were in a different situation but she decided not to disobey Inuyasha's order this time. She pushed the door a little so she could still see Inuyasha standing near the dresser. Somehow, she was worried about Inuyasha's condition. _'He's wounded… can he handle this on his own?' _She thought, praying silently for Inuyasha's safety.

"Come on, you thugs!" Inuyasha called out, looking around the room for any sign of movement. He needed to finish them off soon and get Kagome out of there fast. If he wouldn't do that, he might fall unconscious too and they would get Kagome. His gun held on a ready position, he turned around to get a full view of the room.

Three human-looking youkais emerged from his balcony, each of them holding a gun in his hand.

Inuyasha rapidly shot the two down but the third had already fired before Inuyasha managed to shoot him. It was a good thing that the youkai didn't aim well.

The door suddenly burst open and two more armed youkais entered.

"Drop your gun, hanyou!" The bigger one barked, his gun aimed at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha quickly turned his gun's aim at the dresser—

The one where Kagome was hiding.

"No," said Inuyasha calmly. "You shoot me, I shoot the miko."

_'What is happening?' _Kagome thought, her mind racing when she found Inuyasha's gun pointed straight at her. _'Inuyasha… will he really…'_

"Drop the gun, I said!" repeated the youkai.

Inuyasha could smell the chemical already. It was going through his nose—unstoppable. But he ignored it and tried to remain relaxed. "You know that hanyous and youkais' reflexes are different from humans, right?" Inuyasha said, eyes looking straight at the two youkais whose guns were aimed at him. He slowly placed his other hand at his back and felt for his other gun that he had hidden there. "Even if you shoot me, I can still shoot her. I'm sure your boss will not be glad to know you killed the miko."

The two looked doubtful to shoot Inuyasha after hearing his words. Inuyasha swiftly pulled his other gun and shot the two, while turning around fast like a top to avoid any bullets from them. Inuyasha discarded the empty gun which he had pointed at the dressing cabinet. "Fools." He muttered under his breath. He still had the other gun raised and pointed at the door, waiting for more enemies to enter his room. It was very silent.

"Inuyasha, look out!" Kagome shouted, going out of her hiding place. A surge of pink light suddenly went towards the balcony, dissolving the arm of a youkai and making him drop his weapon.

Inuyasha quickly shot the youkai to be sure and looked at the source of the miko energy. "I told you not to come out!" He scolded her, going to her side.

"You should be thanking me not scolding me!" Kagome shot back. "I just saved your life!"

"And I'm trying to save yours so don't be a pain and follow orders!" He glared at her angrily before grabbing her hand. "At any rate, we better leave this room. The sleeping gas might get to you soon." He walked hurriedly towards the door, peeking for any sign of a youkai.

Nothing seemed to be moving.

Inuyasha closed the door behind them to prevent the gas from scattering farther, still looking alert. He had Kagome right behind him, his hand holding hers tightly. He kept on turning left and right, his gun held high in case an enemy turned up to attack. He went to check every part of his apartment and even the whole floor but there was no one anymore. They were all gone…

He and Kagome returned to his apartment and took one last look around the room. He went to the living room and dropped on the couch, pulling Kagome with him. "Good." He gave out a sigh of relief, releasing Kagome's hand to wipe his forehead.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha's face with worry. "Are you all right?" She asked him. He looked really tired and he was even hurt.

"I'm fine." Inuyasha replied faintly. All of a sudden, his strength began to leave him. "You're safe now…" His eyelids grew heavy and he wanted to sleep. "…Kagome."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out when Inuyasha unexpectedly collapsed on her lap. "Inuyasha! Wake up!" She called out to him, worry growing more intense.

_Knock! Knock!_

Kagome suddenly fell silent when she heard someone knocking on the door. _'Please don't let it be them! Please!' _She prayed repeatedly in her mind.

The door slowly opened and revealed…

"Miroku!" Kagome exclaimed gratefully upon seeing the older agent arrive. "Please help Inuyasha! We've been attacked and I think he's not breathing anymore— Oh no! Is he going to die?.!"

Miroku immediately rushed to Kagome, seeing how panicked she was with the situation. "Kagome! Calm down!" He told her. "Inuyasha's still breathing! He's just unconscious. His heartbeat is normal." He said, trying to reassure the miko.

"Oh, I thought he wasn't breathing." Kagome said simply. "So, how did you know we were still here?" She asked.

"Inuyasha's mobile phone is still out of reach so I thought he still didn't manage to find it," said Miroku, pulling out a paper bag from his backpack. "So I went here to help out. And it's a good thing I did. By the way, Inuyasha asked me to buy these things for you." He handed the paper bag to Kagome with a smile.

Kagome took the bag and opened it, not knowing what was inside.

Inside were a sketchpad and a graphing notebook.

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Awwww... wasn't that nice? Before I leave, I would like to leave a few comments about the reviews you have given me. I really appreciate those who spend their precious time typing a few things for me. Arigatou gozaimasu!

1) First of all, I'll do a shameless plug for my Inu/Kag one-shot. Since I may take some time again before I update, please read my one-shot entitled **Missing Kagome**. It's just a one-shot and I will really love to hear some comments from all of you! (Of course, some of you have already read it! Thanks to those people!)

2) I realized that many are still bothered that Inuyasha is just seventeen and he's already an agent. Well, I'm really sorry but I can't do anything about it. Inuyasha is seventeen and I have stated my reasons before. As for his education, I think that if Inuyasha were to be set in modern era, he will be smart—he's _insensitive_ but he's definitely smart. I'll add that to my reasons why he became an agent at a young age.

3) Feel free to say anything to me when you review! To those who pointed out the word 'stuffs' I already changed it. Thanks for the reminder!

4) The thoughts in the ending were obviously from Sango then Yuka then Eri and the last was from Ayumi (the smartest among them).

5) Lastly, nope, there isn't any necklace for Inuyasha. But there is a necklace for Kagome… Hehehe… Don't think about it too much. It's nothing like Inuyasha's rosary. Osuwari!

To **_demonchik39_**, special mention! Hehe… I just wanted to say that flames are present even in the best fanfics ever made. Don't take them seriously and just think that there are more people who like you to continue writing because they like your work! So, keep writing!

x

Please leave me a couple of lines before leaving. A couple of paragraphs would be much appreciated! Hint hint hint!


	5. Lost but Redeemed

A/N: Thanks to those who dropped reviews! I told you reviews are pretty good encouraging tools… A big bunch of thankies for everyone who reviewed the previous chappie! ARIGATOU! The delay of this chapter was due to the exams I had to take. College is such a pain…

x

Disclaimer: Except for Inuyasha merchandises, I do not own the _real_ Inuyasha. Oh, wait—no, never mind.

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 5

_**Lost but Redeemed**_

x

x

x

x

x

"He WHAT?.!"

Kagome held the phone away from her to save her eardrum from getting broken into pieces. "Yuka, what's the big deal about it?" She asked when her friend had stopped screaming like a banshee.

"Kagome! It is a _big_ deal!" Yuka replied, sounding like Kagome had done something either very great or very bad—or maybe it was even both. "Inuyasha took you to his apartment!" She said in the way she would say, 'Kagome, you won the first prize in the lottery!'

"Yeah, he did," said Kagome, still not getting the drift Yuka was trying to point to her. "I told you I don't see anything—"

"So what did you do there, huh?" Yuka asked in an excited tone.

Kagome paused and thought about what had happened. '_Well, many things happened. Inuyasha and I actually got attacked by Hell's Gate and they tried to kidnap me. Because of that, Inuyasha was wounded and he also fainted. The only thing I was grateful for was that Miroku came and helped us.' _She thought, her thoughts went to Inuyasha, who was currently asleep in his room. '_He still hasn't woken up.' _

Her thoughts were disrupted by Yuka's sharp voice saying, "Oi, Kagome!"

"Huh?" She said, not knowing how long her mind had strayed.

"Spacing out," Her friend replied in an understanding tone. "It happens to all girls who are in love for the first time."

"What?" Kagome was so lost in the conversation they were having.

"So, did he try to kiss you?" questioned Yuka, determined to make Kagome admit that she and Inuyasha were indeed together like they had suspected.

"Um… who?" On the other hand, Kagome was trying hard to get something logical from their conversation.

"Kagome! Don't try to pretend that you don't know anything! That's not working on me!" Yuka scolded her. "Of course we're talking about Inuyasha!"

"He did not kiss me!" Kagome said just above a whisper in case someone was listening to her. '_Well he tried to… That jerk!'_

"**So you do want me to kiss you…" Inuyasha interpreted, inching forward that made his silvery white mane tickle Kagome's face. **

Kagome quickly pushed the memory aside, feeling annoyed with the way Inuyasha tried to boss her around. '_He thinks he's so smart.' _She thought scathingly.

"He didn't?" Yuka sounded unconvinced.

"Why would he?" Kagome countered, her irritation rose as she was forced to think about Inuyasha more and more. She didn't like the conversation she was having with Yuka at the moment—not at all. "He's not even my boyfriend!" She defended herself.

"So you mean you are not his girlfriend?.!" Yuka seemed so shocked when she heard Kagome's words—like it was the first time Kagome had told her that.

"Did I ever tell you that I was his girlfriend?" She asked wearily. This conversation was definitely getting more and more absurd for her. "Yuka, can we end our talk now? I have to check on my pet because he's sick right now." Her thoughts wandered once again to the silvery white-haired hanyou. '_He still hasn't woken up…' _She thought with concern.

"Pet?" Yuka repeated broodingly. "You mean Buyo?"

"Um yeah." She replied, grabbing any excuse just so she could hang up already. "Mama said I should take care of him. Souta is busy studying for his upcoming tests and well… I really got to go." She said, praying really hard that Yuka would finally let her go.

"Oh, okay." Her friend conceded at last. "But you know Kagome, I really think Inuyasha likes you."

Kagome mentally groaned, rolling her brown eyes. '_Are they really that desperate?.!' _She thought in frustration.

"I mean, he chose to take you with him." Yuka went on when Kagome didn't say anything. "That means you mean a lot to him, right?"

'_No, it means that he's just doing his duty.' _Kagome wanted to say but instead she muttered, "I think so."

"See? Why don't you give Inuyasha a chance?" Yuka told her friend.

'_Yeah right.'_

"He likes you and you also like hi—"

"Yuka, at this very moment, my cat is having a seizure plus he's choking on something I can't see so can I just see you tomorrow at school?" Kagome said, cutting her friend's lecture about her non-existent relationship with Inuyasha.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot." Yuka said guiltily. "Anyway, why not bring your cat to a vet?"

"Don't worry, I can still handle him." Kagome said reassuringly, smiling down at Buyo who was staring back at her with his large eyes. "So I'll just see you tomorrow. Good-bye!" After hearing Yuka's good-bye, she hung up and went straight for Inuyasha's room to check on him.

x

Back in Inuyasha's room—while Kagome was having a conversation with her friend, Inuyasha and Miroku were having a conversation of their own and Inuyasha—like Kagome—didn't like it at all.

"You WHAT?.!" Inuyasha sat up instantly upon hearing Miroku's words, his eyes wide in anger and disbelief.

"Hey! Calm down," said Miroku, edging his chair a bit farther from Inuyasha—just in case he decided to _attack_ him. "It's no big deal."

"Hell, it is a big deal!" Inuyasha burst out, growling dangerously. "You just fucking told her that those things came from me!"

"So?" Miroku said uncaringly then smiled at Inuyasha. "I think it was nice of you to think of Kago—"

"Well, I don't want her to think that I _am_ nice because I am _definitely not_." The hanyou cut off, his eyes filled with determination to prove that he was correct.

But Miroku had known Inuyasha long enough that he always recognized the times when his friend was putting up a front—just like now. "Then why do you bother to buy stuff for her?" He asked the younger agent testily, enjoying the idea that he was teasing Inuyasha.

"You were the one who bought them!" Inuyasha replied defensively, stopping himself from blushing.

"You were the one who ordered me to buy them _for her_." Miroku smirked triumphantly, seeing that Inuyasha had obviously lost. '_He's always too proud to admit.' _He thought to himself.

"Well," Inuyasha paused when he found out that he had nothing to say. "Well…" He repeated, cursing inwardly when he still didn't find anything. Miroku's smirk was getting on his nerves and he wanted him to leave very much. "Well, I think you better go home now." He said through gritted teeth, unable to stop the slight blush on his cheeks.

"Go home? Oh come on Inuyasha! It's too late! Can't I just sleep over?" Miroku asked, putting on his most innocent look—which was still not innocent enough for Inuyasha.

"As you can see, my bed's full." Inuyasha said, glaring at the lecherous agent.

"That's all right!" Miroku said perkily, standing up and walking towards the door. "I'll just go to Kagome's room and—" He paused when he heard a metal click and if his hunch was right, Inuyasha was holding a gun and aiming it at him. He turned around slowly, his hands raised in surrender. "I forgot I have to fix the leaking faucet at my apartment." He gave out a sigh of relief when he saw that the handgun was not aimed at him—although it was in Inuyasha's hands together with a piece of cloth.

"Oh, sorry about that." Inuyasha said absentmindedly, putting his gun aside with the piece of cloth. "I was just cleaning my gun…" He reasoned out. "You're leaving? I thought you were sleeping over." He gave out an innocent look that didn't fool Miroku. It obviously read 'Go now you lecher or you'll wish you were dead!'

"Maybe next time, Inuyasha." Miroku said, opening the door. "Hey, Kagome!" He greeted, beaming widely at her when he found her standing in front of Inuyasha's room. "Good, you're here! I'm leaving by the way and Inuyasha's awake now." He pulled Kagome forward so she was now inside Inuyasha's room.

"He is?.!" Kagome's features immediately lit with gladness at the news. "Is he all right now?" She trailed her eyes to Inuyasha's bed and saw him looking at the two of them—sulking.

"He'll be fine. His wounds have healed. He's a hanyou after all so those wounds won't do him any permanent damage. Those were mere scratches for him." Miroku answered, trying to appease Kagome.

"That's good to hear," said Kagome in return. "Thanks for all the help, Miroku." She smiled gratefully.

"It's nothing." He said with a kind smile. "I really should be going now. No, no need to escort me. Inuyasha wants to talk to you."

"He… does?" Kagome looked uncertain, looking once again at Inuyasha's pissed off expression.

"No, I don't!" Kagome heard Inuyasha's clear protest. "And by the way, I just want to clear one thing. I did _not_ buy those things for you. It was Miroku but he's just too shy to admit it so he passed it to me." He crossed his arms over his chest with a look of stubbornness on his face.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. '_Huh?'_

Miroku gave an irritated look at Inuyasha's direction then turned back to Kagome with another smile that said, 'Inuyasha is so lame, don't you think?' "He's actually talking about himself." He whispered to Kagome then winked. "Bye, Kagome! Bye, Inuyasha!" And then he closed the door behind him to leave the two staring at each other.

"Just in case you didn't hear me a while ago, I do _not_ want to talk to you." Inuyasha said callously to the miko looking at him. "You may go now." He lay on his side, his back turned to her.

Kagome closed her gaping mouth, sending flaring glares at the hanyou's back like daggers. "How dare you, you heartless pig!" She hissed, putting her hands on her waist. "For you information, this is _our_ house. That means that _I_ have all the right to stay wherever I want whenever I want to!"

He shifted his position so even though he was lying on his side, he was facing Kagome, his head comfortably propped on his hand and his face sporting another one of his infamous smirk. "Now, for _your_ information," He paused to breathe, enjoying Kagome's look of exasperation. He really loved seeing this girl flare up. "This is _my_ room. So _I_ have every fucking right to do whatever I want whenever I want to. And right now, I want you out of my sight. The door is just right behind you."

"What?.!" Kagome screeched, hating Inuyasha all over again—just when she thought he was beginning to be _nice_ to her. She intensified her glares but Inuyasha looked back at her with the same expression on his face—pure arrogance. "You're such an egoistic psycho!" She spat and turned on her heels, reaching for the door. Just before she grabbed the knob, she spun around again and said, "And don't think that I'm leaving because you told me to! I'm leaving because your very presence sickens me!"

"Oh please!" Inuyasha groaned, putting a pillow over his ears. "Save me from your blabbering and just fuck off!"

"Jerk." She yanked the door open and went out hurriedly, making sure that she closed the door with a very loud bang.

"Final—" Inuyasha was interrupted when the door burst open again to reveal Kagome. "You—!" He quickly sat up, looking vexed at her form. "What now?.!" He demanded.

"I just want to say a few things," said Kagome, closing the door behind her. "First, here's your cell phone." She took it out from her pocket and tossed it to Inuyasha, who caught it with his left hand effortlessly. "I found it inside your dressing closet." Kagome paused, giving Inuyasha a chance to say something like a thank you—but nothing came out from the hanyou's mouth. He just gave a fleeting look at his phone then placed it on top of his bedside table. "Anyway, because I'm not _ungrateful_ like you, I also want to say thank you for—"

"I told you I didn't buy those fucking things for you!" He broke in, making sure his eyes were safely averted from her.

"Will you let me finish first?.! I was not talking about that, you idiot! Just why are you acting so guilty?.! It's not like I'm forcing you to admit that!" Kagome shot back, feeling her anger stir once more. "I was talking about you saving me when we were attacked by Hell's Gate."

"Oh." Yes, the great Inuyasha Tsuzuki had just said something unintelligible in front of Kagome. Getting over his embarrassment quickly, he tried to look cool and said indifferently, "I mean it is my job after all. Don't bother saying thanks every time, you'll be surprised how many times you'll be thanking me."

"Oh good! That saves me from going over the excruciating experience every time you save me!" She sighed in relief, flashing him a fake sweet smile. "I thought you were so stuck-up that you'd require me to kiss your feet every time you save me, it's a good thing to know I was mistaken." Her smile didn't vanish.

"Hey! That's not a bad idea!" He said, his face lighting up with evil mischief. "At least I get something in return for doing my job."

"First, you moron, you do get something in return for doing this job! You are paid to do it!" Kagome reminded him, her smile turning into a thin line. "And the next time you do your job, could you at least refrain from pointing a gun at my direction? Or at least give a warning or something!"

"One, you weren't supposed to see that because I closed the dresser. It's your damn fault for disobeying my order. Two, I couldn't give a warning or something. That was a life and death situation and you expect me to say, 'Hey, this is just a fucking stage act so don't worry because I really don't intend to shoot you!' And lastly _wench_, the gun was empty if you still hadn't realized that!" He always talked very much whenever he argued with Kagome. '_Keh!_ _I have no plan to let this girl win against me!'_

"One, I said stop calling me wench! Two, don't you dare pass the blame on me! I was just worried because you were hurt and in return, I get to see you directing a gun at me! Unlike you, I'm not used to having a handgun aimed at me every now and then, okay?.!" Kagome was extra angry because he called her wench once again. She thought he would have learned her name by now…

"**You're safe now….. Kagome."**

'_Obviously, I was very wrong.' _Kagome was snapped out of her musing by Inuyasha's sneer.

"Keh! So this is all about the trust issue once again, huh?" He said, looking at Kagome contemplatively. "You don't trust me. Which is it? You don't trust me to _protect_ you or you don't trust that I _can_ protect you?"

"It wasn't that. I really thought you deserved the chance I gave you. I started believing that this arrangement was going to be okay," said Kagome in low voice. "But now, I know it's impossible. You've lost your chance." She turned her back to him and opened the door.

"Keh! I never asked for that chance—whatever that means!" He called out to her, not wanting her to have the last say. _He_ should be the one to have the last say.

"The problem here was never the trust issue." Kagome told him wearily. '_Because I'm already working on that issue.'_ She sighed mentally. Turning her head slowly, she met his infuriated amber eyes with her disappointed chocolate brown ones. "It's you." She whispered and closed the door with a soft click.

Inuyasha was caught off guard. He never imagined that those two words would render him speechless. He collapsed on his bed, his head pillowed by his arms. He stared at the ceiling vacantly, trying to get rid of the feeling surfacing in his heart. He hated feeling guilty. Closing his eyes with determination, he pushed the feeling aside forcefully.

"**It's you."**

But the words seemed to haunt him like a ghost. The way Kagome had looked at him when she said those words. It was the one that was making him feel guil—no, he wasn't guilty! But then, was it really his fault?

'_Keh!_ _Of course not.'_ He snatched his cell phone and looked for Kikyou's number. All he needed was a diversion. '_She's not going to succeed in making me think about her for the whole night!' _With that goal in mind, he pressed the call button to report the attempted kidnapping incident to the leader of Solferis.

x

Kagome had changed into her light blue pajamas and went to do her schoolwork. She opened her school bag and dumped all of the crumpled paper Inuyasha had given her during that day in the trash bin.

"I can never change him. He's solid rude to the core." She muttered, taking out the graphing notebook and sketchpad from the paper bag and placing them on her desk. Taking out her notes, she opened her new graphing notebook with a sigh.

Even though she had said that, still a part of her believed in Inuyasha. If he was still willing to do the job—to protect her with his life, maybe there was still a chance that they would work things out.

x

"I said I want to quit this mission." Inuyasha repeated with resolution. "I was never willing to do this job in the first place! I can't stand _her_. She's so annoying and loud. She doesn't follow orders and she always puts the blame on me."

"Are you being nice to Kagome?" Kikyou questioned, speaking in the same business tone she always used when Inuyasha started talking about wanting to quit his current mission.

"Can't you just give me another mission except for this protection shit?.!" He returned, avoiding the question that always made Kikyou decline his request.

"No." She told him conclusively but calmly. "Now that that's settled, I want you to bring Kagome here this coming Saturday. Kaede wants to see her new student. About the incident, keep a closer watch on Kagome from now on. I'm sure Hell's Gate has learned about her by now. As a matter of fact, I strongly advise that you give her a tracking device and make sure she doesn't take it off—whatever happens."

"With or without her knowledge?" Inuyasha inquired, stifling a yawn.

"Which will be more convenient?" She asked, checking the time on her watch. It was quarter to ten. She knew Inuyasha needed to get some sleep.

"She'll be better if she didn't know it." He replied, knowing that Kagome hated being followed what more if she was to be tracked down. She would definitely defy him by taking off the tracking device.

"Okay," agreed Kikyou. "So where will we put the tracking device? Bracelet, earring or necklace?" She enumerated the options, opening her laptop to look for some jewelry designs.

"I don't actually care."

"Bracelet seems nice," suggested Kikyou thoughtfully.

"Suit yourself." Inuyasha said nonchalantly.

"Since Miroku's location is nearer, I'll send someone to drop the device there early in the morning. Just get it from him tomorrow," explained Kikyou, printing the design she had chosen. "You have anything more to report?"

"Can't you find someone else to do—"

"Inuyasha…" Kikyou said his name warningly.

"Okay, okay." Inuyasha said, totally giving up. "It's getting late. We should get our rest."

"I know," assented Kikyou, her eyes showing exhaustion. "It has been a long day. I had to visit three companies today to close some deals."

"You're tiring yourself too much. Why not ask someone else to do the job for you?" Inuyasha said, genuine concern was evident in his voice. He used this tone only when talking to Kikyou—not even Kagome or his previous charge had heard this kind of tone from him. "Even though Naraku doesn't know who's behind Solferis, it doesn't mean that you're safe from Hell's Gate. Make sure you bring a lot of bodyguards with you. One day they'll know that you're our leader."

An appreciative smile appeared on Kikyou's lips upon hearing Inuyasha's worried voice. "I'm not weak and defenseless, Inuyasha. I can handle myself." She told him with certainty. "Besides, I can't just stay inside the mansion forever. It's pretty boring and I have business to attend to or else I won't have the money to pay you."

"Still you should bring bodyguards with you," insisted Inuyasha.

"I do bring some of our agents." Kikyou said, hoping that it would finally satisfy Inuyasha so he would stop bugging her. "See you on Saturday then?" She asked before saying good-bye.

"Looking forward to it," said Inuyasha in return, smiling softly to himself. Kagome was completely forgotten in Inuyasha's mind, which was now filled with only one person—Kikyou.

x

Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a bewildered expression on his face. '_What the fuck is going on?' _He asked in his mind.

Kagome was walking silently beside him—not uttering anything. Not a single word. Her look was straight ahead like he wasn't even walking with her. Her face didn't wear any emotion, not giving away anything.

Inuyasha knew there was something wrong but he didn't dare ask. '_I don't care what she does.' _He thought to himself. He continued to walk close to her; one hand clutched on the strap of his backpack while the other was tucked inside the pocket of his black pants, holding his gun. It was more dangerous now so he had to be ready for any attack.

Kagome, on the other hand, looked unbothered. Even as they entered the school gate, she still remained calm.

Inuyasha, however, was alarmed. As they went past the gate, he saw that many people—all of which were girls—were standing on either sides of the walkway and staring at them. Some with these silly dreamy looks in their eyes—that was for Inuyasha—and the others with deadly witch-like glares—that was directed only to Kagome.

"Inuyasha has arrived!" A girl with long wavy hair that went past her waist shouted. "Everyone greet him!" She commanded like she was some sort of leader of a troop.

"GOOD MORNING, INUYASHA!" Everyone greeted, bowing their heads a little to acknowledge Inuyasha's presence.

'_What the hell?' _He thought, looking around him with that disgusted, freaked out expression on his face.

The girl with long wavy hair approached Inuyasha and Kagome with a soft, shy smile on her lips. "Hi, Inuyasha." She said sweetly. "My name is Nazuna Ikimura. I am also graduating high school this year like you. I come from Section B."

"Bitch, what do you want?" Inuyasha groused, looking ticked off with her as she looked at him with admiration.

"Nothing much." She answered, still wearing the same smile.

Kagome knew pretty well that the girl was flirting. '_What is it that they see in Inuyasha that they like him so much?.?.?' _She never got an answer to that question of hers.

"You!" Nazuna's eyes went to Kagome, examining her from head to foot. "Just who are you to Inuyasha?" She asked with interest. The whole crowd stopped their not-so-low whispers of 'Oh Inuyasha, you're so handsome!.!.!', 'Inuyasha! I want you!.!.!', 'Inuyasha, can you be my boyfriend?.?.?', 'Inuyasha, go out with me!.!.!', 'Inuyasha, I love you!.!.!', 'Inuyasha, look here!', 'Inuyasha, will you marry me?.?.?' to listen to Kagome's answer.

Kagome didn't know what to answer so she just returned the question to her. "Just who are you to ask me that?"

Nazuna smirked haughtily, eyes trying to intimidate Kagome.

Kagome didn't even flinch.

"I am the president of Inuyasha Tsuzuki's _Official_ Fans Club." She announced pompously.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at her. Was she supposed to scream in fright and run away after hearing that? She was speechless beyond belief. Of all the things that could be said, she never expected to hear _that_ from her.

One of Inuyasha's eyes twitched involuntarily. He was also speechless.

The uncomfortable silence was broken by a sudden piercing shriek coming from behind Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Innnnnuuuuyyyyyyaaaaaaaaassssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.! I love you!.!.!.!.!" Obviously, it was another fangirl—only crazier—that was speeding towards Inuyasha, trying to hug him. "Aaaaaarrrrgghhh!.!.! Die, you bitch!.!.!.!" But then again, she wasn't actually speeding towards Inuyasha but to Kagome. Her hands were outstretched not to hug Inuyasha but to strangle Kagome.

"Look out!" Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome to swiftly move her away from the rampaging fangirl.

"Someone's trying to hurt Inuyasha!" shouted Nazuna, calling out for reinforcement. It was indicated that as a member of ITOFC, you should apprehend any girl who tried to violate, harass or attack Inuyasha in any way. "Get her!.!.!"

All of the members of ITOFC—short for Inuyasha Tsuzuki's Official Fans Club—charged at the poor girl. Actually Inuyasha wasn't that concerned about them. He looked at Kagome, taking his hands off her, and asked her, "Are you okay?"

Kagome gave a small nod, not meeting Inuyasha's eyes. Throwing a quick look at Inuyasha's fangirls, she walked away, knowing that Inuyasha would be at her heels shortly.

'_Did she just suddenly become mute or something?' _Inuyasha mused, following his charge immediately without bothering to spare a glance at the members of ITOFC.

x

Inuyasha waited patiently outside the girls' restroom with his arms folded, his back comfortably leaning on the wall. They had finished eating and Kagome still hadn't spoken a single word to him. It was starting to bother him in an irritating kind of way.

"Is something wrong with Kagome?" Miroku asked curiously. "She seems a bit too quiet for comfort."

"I think she glued her mouth accidentally." Inuyasha answered unconcernedly, shrugging.

"Oh sure, she just glues her mouth around you." Miroku said with pure sarcasm. "You did something, didn't you?" He accused, giving him that examining look.

Inuyasha didn't give any reply. He didn't know what he did exactly that caused Kagome to be this way.

"Did you insult her again?"

'_Probably.'_

"Or did you take advantage of her after I left?"

"Keep your mind off the gutter, will you?.!" Inuyasha grumbled, glowering at his perverted companion. "She decided not to speak too much. What's the big deal about it?.!"

"I don't know," answered Miroku with a shrug. "Maybe I'm not used to it. Although it's just day three, it seems like a long time. The two of you never got this quiet to each other before." He took out a small black jewelry box and handed it to Inuyasha.

The hanyou snatched it and placed it in his right pocket smoothly. "Things change so get used to it." He muttered, feeling like he was actually addressing his words to himself and not to Miroku.

"If that's what you want," said Miroku dismissively, knowing that Inuyasha didn't want to discuss the matter further. "So, what do you think of your fans club?" He asked with a teasing smile on his lips.

"I think I'm going to throw up."

x

"So aren't you even worried about this whole ITOFC?" Eri asked, combing her hair in front of the rectangular bathroom mirror.

"Why should I?" Kagome asked, opening the valve of the faucet to wash her hands. Upon seeing Yuka's eyes she quickly added, "Never mind! I don't want the reason."

"Anyway, I think you better be careful from now on." Sango said, handing Kagome some napkin to dry her hands. "Inuyasha's fangirls are very keen on _protecting_ Inuyasha. I think they're pretty angry with you since you're so close to him."

"Figures," said Kagome without really caring. "I just got attacked by one of his fangirls a while ago." She said it like she was used to being attacked—well, she _was_ sort of used.

As expected, her friends fussed over the said incident.

"Did she hurt you?"

"Did she try to stab you?"

"Was Inuyasha there with you?"

"Oh no! Inuyasha tried to kill the girl, didn't he?"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at her friends' comments. "The girl didn't try to stab me. She just planned to strangle me, I think. She wasn't able to hurt me though because Inuyasha's other fangirls _attacked_ her." She told them.

"You mean Inuyasha wasn't there?" Ayumi asked, looking very disappointed.

"He was there." Kagome said without much interest.

"And he tried to kill the girl, right? Only the other fangirls got to her first." Eri said hopefully.

Kagome laughed again. "Why do you make Inuyasha look so violent?" She said, still laughing a little. She suddenly stopped giggling when the words she had spoken began to sink in. '_Why am I suddenly defending him? He is actually violent…'_

"Won't it be nice if Inuyasha is being overprotective of you?" Ayumi said with that dreamy look on her face. "That means he likes you very much." She smiled at her friend.

Kagome rolled her eyes inwardly. '_Oh please! You just don't know how overprotective he is! And it doesn't mean he likes me—not even a bit close to that!' _She wanted to say but she knew they would just insist that Inuyasha did like her. They never listened to her.

"Speaking of Inuyasha," started Yuka, looking at Kagome closely. "I've noticed that Inuyasha and you haven't said a single word to each other since you came to school."

"Really?" Kagome muttered, slinging her bag back to her shoulder and heading for the door. "You're just exaggerating things." She wished everybody would just let her be.

x

Classes had ended. Inuyasha and Kagome still hadn't talked to each other.

Kagome didn't care because she knew that Inuyasha wasn't bothered. '_So why should I?' _She thought, heading to the direction of the archery fields.

Kagome and Inuyasha were all alone in the archery fields when they had arrived. Inuyasha sat on the floor while Kagome went to change into her archery uniform to start practicing.

Kagome didn't look at Inuyasha as she went past him. She got her bow and quiver and stood on the shooting area. Before Kagome could release her first arrow, a group of seven girls appeared—among them was Nazuna.

"May I help you?" said Kagome, trying to be polite. '_Are they all ITOFC members…?'_

Nazuna came forward, stopping near Inuyasha and looking at him placidly. When Inuyasha didn't even turn his head to look at her, she shifted her gaze to Kagome, her eyes flashing angrily. "As the president of ITOFC, it is my duty to _protect _Inuyasha from women like you—women who do nothing but _cling_ to him and _act_ like his girlfriend."

Kagome couldn't help but raise her eyebrow once again, looking at Nazuna with amusement. '_Are fangirls really this stupid?' _She thought.

'_Aren't they going to stop pestering me?' _Inuyasha thought miserably, looking at his fangirls with utmost dislike and displeasure.

"To fulfill that duty," continued Nazuna, flipping her hair snootily. "I want to challenge you in a duel." She concluded with a confident smile.

"Am I supposed to agree to that?" The miko asked, hating Inuyasha's fangirls for disrupting her practice. "As you can see, I'm busy practicing."

"Duel with me or agree that you won't go near Inuyasha again." The leader of ITOFC set the options for Kagome to choose.

'_If only I could choose the second one, believe me I'll take it willingly!' _She wanted to say but instead she said, "What will be our means?"

"Archery." Nazuna said simply and clearly.

"Don't you know that I am the president of the archery club?" Kagome said, not believing that Nazuna would choose a field that _she _was very good in.

"Just because you're the president doesn't mean I can't beat you." She answered back, looking very confident with herself. She went inside the changing room to dress up then took a bow and quiver. Standing beside Kagome, she looked at her with a sneer and said, "If I win, you tell me who you are to Inuyasha, you are not to be seen around Inuyasha ever again _and_ I will become the new president of the archery club."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha to find him yawning and stretching his arms. '_Obviously, he's bored and he doesn't care.' _She returned her eyes to Nazuna, looking determined. "And if I win?"

Nazuna smirked wider as if saying, 'Still thinking that you can win against me?' "Obviously, you get to stay around Inuyasha." She told Kagome, looking like that was more than the bargain she would get if _she_ would win. "Three arrows. One who gets the higher score wins. I go first."

The arrow hit bull's eye.

"Ten points for Nazuna!" One of the members of ITOFC said.

'_Why do I feel like I don't get anything good in this?' _She thought as she stretched the string and made her aim. She stole another glance at Inuyasha and found him looking at the target board. '_Of course he does care,' _thought Kagome bitterly. '_It's his job at stake.' _She released the arrow and watched it zoom straight to the middle of the target board. She smiled. At least, she was still not losing her touch.

"Ten points for the enemy!" Another member of ITOFC announced.

'_The enemy?' _Kagome repeated in her mind, readying her bow for the second arrow.

"Nine points for Nazuna!"

"Nine points for the enemy!"

They were down to the last arrow—the deciding round. Inuyasha averted his eyes from the target board and from the two competing girls. He already knew that Kagome would win. '_After all, she is very good at archery.' _

"Nine points for Nazuna!"

Kagome had shot her final arrow.

"Eight points—Nazuna you won!.!.!" All of Inuyasha's fangirls cheered for their president.

Inuyasha couldn't believe it at first. He looked at the target board and growled mentally. '_She fucking lost?.!' _He turned to glare at Kagome but she was looking at Nazuna, her back was turned to him.

Kagome couldn't believe it either. She just lost her position as the president of the archery club and she was not to go anywhere near Inuyasha—not that the second one bothered her. She wasn't even thinking about that one because she knew that Inuyasha would never agree to that. She was mostly upset for the reason that she wasn't the president anymore.

Nazuna looked at Kagome triumphantly. "So it's settled. I am the new president of the archery club and you are not to go anywhere near Inuyash—"

"Screw the deal!" Inuyasha was now standing beside Kagome, looking at Nazuna with annoyance. "Bitch, you have no fucking right to order her around!"

'_Just as I expected. He will never agree to it.' _Kagome thought, feeling tired of being manipulated by Inuyasha. '_Why do I have to be stuck with someone like him?' _She looked at the target boards, wanting to be somewhere else and not with any of them. Not with Nazuna, not with those fangirls and not with Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha," said Nazuna calmly. "You seem so concerned about Kagome." She took a quick look at Kagome only to find her looking somewhere else. She replaced her eyes on Inuyasha and asked, "Just who is she to you?"

Inuyasha hated the girl in front of him dearly. He didn't know how to answer her question. He couldn't give her the truth—that Kagome was his charge. Then what else could he say? He never had this much trouble with his previous charge.

Kagome wanted to go home badly. To finish the conversation, she looked at Nazuna and said, "I'll answer for him."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome all of a sudden, her words catching his attention completely.

Kagome didn't pay any attention to Inuyasha. Her eyes were focused on Nazuna. "I am nothing to Inuyasha." She said the words clearly without any emotion in her eyes. Her eyes might be lacking emotions but her heart wasn't. Her heart seemed to break at her words. Why? She didn't find any answer.

Nazuna looked contented with the answer she had heard. "Then it's clear that you have no right to stay around him."

Kagome didn't argue anymore.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, managing to return his eyes to Nazuna after getting over the shock he had when he heard Kagome's answer. Again, he was taken aback by the miko's words. She always surprised Inuyasha when he least expected it. "I demand a rematch!" He barked with authority.

'_Can't he see I'm tired?.!' _Kagome fought the urge to look at Inuyasha and give him a deadly glower. Instead, she remained silent and bit her lower lip.

"She already lost," stated Nazuna insistently. "I don't see the point—"

"_I_ will fight in her place." Inuyasha interrupted, looking determined. "If I win, all of you will stay out of her way, no more embarrassing morning greetings to me and I don't want to see or hear about this damn fans club ever again."

"And if I win?"

"I'll tell her to stop following me around." Inuyasha replied matter-of-factly.

'_Why does he speak like I'm one of his desperate fangirls?' _Kagome was struggling to keep herself from shouting at Inuyasha.

"Also I want you to go out on a date with me," added Nazuna, closing the deal.

"Deal." Inuyasha said indifferently. "We'll meet at Sougeki's after classes tomorrow."

"Sougeki's? You mean the shooting gallery?" Nazuna said, looking happy about something.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked, smirking at her. "Starting to get cold feet?"

"No," said Nazuna with a triumphant smile on her lips. "It's just that my family is known to be good hunters."

Inuyasha didn't care even if she had said that her family was a bunch of mikos. "Good." He said uninterestedly. "At least my opponent knows how to _hold_ a gun." His words were filled with sarcasm.

Nazuna let it pass, keeping her poise. "Don't be late." She gave out a small smile to Inuyasha then glared at Kagome's way before she turned on her heels and left.

Kagome didn't bother to return the glare, instead, she just stared at her with distant eyes for a second before Nazuna and the other girls started leaving.

Inuyasha was the one who glared back at Nazuna's back, watching her leave with relief. '_Finally, the evil bitch decided to fuck off.' _He thought thankfully. His eyes shifted to Kagome when he heard her move. She was going to return the bows and quivers then she went to inside the changing room. Never did Inuyasha see Kagome's eyes looking at him. He shrugged then placed his hands in his pockets. His hand felt a small box inside his right pocket. He cursed under his breath.

He had to be the one to break the ice after all…

x

Kagome placed her foot forward then the other one forward, making herself walk. For some certain reason, she found it hard to walk—like her body suddenly weighed twice as before. Her head was bowed down, looking at the ground as she walked. They were all alone in the sidewalk. On their left, busy cars went past them without any delay while trees rustled softly on their right. She noticed that their surroundings were starting to darken and the street lights began to light up. Her shadow mingled with Inuyasha's shadow, making them look like one.

Now that she thought about it, Inuyasha was actually like her shadow. Kagome would always find Inuyasha beside her—always with her. But then, it felt like he was just following her because it was his duty—just like it was the shadow's duty to be around its partner. '_Of course that's all that there is,' _thought Kagome, still watching her shadow together with Inuyasha's shadow. She could never reach out to Inuyasha. Even though she could see her shadow and she felt comforted by her shadow's presence, it still felt different because a shadow was hollow. That was how she felt around Inuyasha so far. She was reassured by the protection the hanyou was giving her but still, she felt all alone—not welcome to Inuyasha. Even though she got all this attention from Inuyasha, she just knew that they weren't real.

Just like a shadow…

"You really don't want to talk to me, do you?"

Kagome lifted her head in surprise when she heard Inuyasha talk but didn't dare look at him. She continued to pace, looking unimpressed by Inuyasha's words.

When he got no response, he continued with his talk. "Well too bad because I'll still be talking," said Inuyasha, trying to get a reaction from Kagome—even just a flare of anger in her eyes. He saw an 'I-Don't-Care' expression in her eyes and she was still not looking at him. "I don't give a damn about what you do but you don't have the fucking right to be angry with me—if that's what you're feeling—because I am the one who should be angry with you! You just placed me in a situation that I didn't want to be in. You intended to miss that shot, didn't you?.!" He glared at Kagome intensely. He didn't know exactly what he wanted to get out of this. Probably he wanted to annoy the girl and let her feel the way he was feeling. He was very pissed off at that moment because the girl wasn't even saying something and yet she could get on his nerves so easily. "Answer—" Inuyasha stopped all of a sudden when Kagome stopped walking and looked at his eyes intently. Her eyes clearly told him that she was tired and somehow… lonely. He didn't quite understand the look Kagome was giving him. He expected her to be angry not _this_.

"Inuyasha, just _please_…" Kagome's voice was weak and almost pleading. Inuyasha never heard her like this before. "I'm tired of this. Please leave me alone."

Inuyasha didn't know what came to him but he didn't say anything anymore and left her alone.

x

Inuyasha grabbed the knob of Kagome's door and turned it. '_What the fuck—?.!' _He tried turning it again but it was useless. Kagome had locked the door. '_So she thinks she can escape me…' _He rapped the door once then said, "Open the fucking door. We need to talk."

Inuyasha didn't hear any reply or any sound that meant that Kagome would be opening the door for him. He growled inwardly, his temper slowly rising. "I don't have the time to play stupid mind games with you. If you don't open the door, I'll tear it down." He threatened, readying his claws for the task.

The door opened quickly revealing Kagome but she didn't linger there. After opening the door, she walked hastily back to her desk and sat down to return to her previous activity.

After closing the door, Inuyasha followed her and stood beside her chair. "I said we need to talk." He repeated when Kagome didn't pay any attention to him.

Kagome took a piece of paper lying on her desk and wrote something on it. She pushed it towards Inuyasha so he could read it.

_Go ahead. _

Inuyasha fought the urge to shout at her and say, 'Don't you start that damn note passing again!' Instead, he took a deep breath and sighed to calm himself a little. "When I say we need to talk, that means you have to talk too." He said calmly. "But you are not talking." He pointed out to her, hoping that she'd quit whatever she was doing and be considerate enough to talk to him again like a normal person.

But it seemed like Kagome didn't want to quit. She took the paper back and scribbled another sentence on it.

_But I am talking._

"No you're not," said Inuyasha in a dangerous tone. He was so close to shouting at her. "You are writing on a damn piece of paper and I will really appreciate it if you will stop doing that." He caught the paper before Kagome could take it to write another message. "Just fucking talk to me—directly." He told her, trying to stop himself from growling at her.

Kagome sighed in surrender. She turned to face Inuyasha and looked at him passively with her brown eyes. "I don't think there is anything to talk—"

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha cut her off, looking at her with scrutinizing amber eyes. "Tell me why you haven't been talking to me." He demanded, his eyes never leaving her.

Kagome didn't give him any answer and she even turned her head to avoid his eyes.

"You're angry? Is that it?" Inuyasha waited for her reply but she remained silent. "If you're angry, then why the hell are you so quiet?.!"

"There are different ways to show anger. Sometimes you shout, sometimes you cry and sometimes you just keep quiet…" said Kagome softly, her eyes was still averted from Inuyasha.

"So you are angry…" Inuyasha concluded.

"No, I'm happy." Kagome said dully. Why wouldn't he just leave her and let her be angry peacefully?

"Of course," said Inuyasha tolerantly. "Now that we're speaking again like human beings…" He said, ignoring the glare Kagome had shot at him. At least they were back to normal… "Give me you hand."

Kagome looked at him suspiciously, holding her hand cautiously.

"Just do it." He sighed.

She slowly turned her palm up and raised it in front of Inuyasha. "Don't tell me you're a part-time fortune teller," said Kagome dubiously.

"No," said Inuyasha, taking out the jewelry box out of his pocket. "Here." He placed the small black box on her palm.

"Just to remind you, I am _still_ angry so you better not pull a prank on me." She told him then looked back at the box on her palm.

"I know." He said simply. "Don't worry it's not disgusting." He added, smirking at her.

"It better not." She opened the box and then looked back at Inuyasha with confusion in her eyes. "What is this?" She asked him, showing him the bracelet lying inside the box.

"I think it's some sort of animal that looks like a bracelet when it's dead," said Inuyasha, trying to look like he was examining the silver jewelry.

"Jerk, I know it's a bracelet!" Kagome said, looking irked with Inuyasha's sarcastic comments.

"Then don't ask anymore." Inuyasha said, pointing out the obvious. "That's expensive so make sure you take care of it." He watched Kagome as she took out the tracking device from its box and rested it on her very palm, admiring the simple but elegant piece of jewelry.

"Then why are you giving it to me?" Kagome couldn't stop herself from asking. She had to know. She looked at Inuyasha and waited for his answer.

"Just felt like giving away some extra money." He shrugged, taking out his mobile phone to send a text message to Kikyou. "After all, I am rich." He said proudly, pushing the send button when he completed typing his message. _My charge already has the tracking device._

"No, you are not _that _rich." Kagome opposed, looking doubtfully at him. Then the answer hit her. "You want something from me, don't you?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome like she was an escapee from the mental hospital. "Sorry to disappoint you but I really just gave that out of pure generosity." He said with a smirk. "Because I AM _that _rich." He added, his smirk getting wider.

"Well then don't expect me to return it," said Kagome, putting it around her right wrist. "Because I won't." She smiled contentedly, admiring the silver bracelet on her wrist. It was truly beautiful. It was a stylish, slightly thick silver bracelet that narrowed towards the middle. On the middle was a single charm shaped like a star made of blue sapphire bordered with silver metal.

"One more thing," started Inuyasha, opening the program in his cell phone to check if the tracking device was working properly. "Because that's expensive, I want you to wear it always—and I mean don't ever take it off, understood?" There was a red blinking dot found in the screen of his mobile, indicating the exact location of Kagome. '_Perfect.'_

"Shouldn't I be the one to decide if I like to wear it or not?" asked Kagome, examining the glistening blue stone that was her birthstone on the bracelet.

"I don't give away expensive jewelry just to see them kept in drawers." Inuyasha returned his mobile inside his pocket. "If you don't want to wear it then I'll just get it back." '_Or force you to always wear it.'_

"Fine, I'll wear it—always." She smiled at Inuyasha then added, "Thanks."

"Keh! I told you I'm just giving a—"

"Away some extra money… Yeah, I know." Kagome said, interrupting him. "So do you have anything else to say? I kind of like to sleep already." She looked at the clock hesitantly. It was past ten in the evening.

"One last thing, Kikyou told me to bring you to her place this coming Saturday. You'll be having miko lessons with Kaede." Inuyasha informed her, looking around her room idly.

"Who are Kikyou and Kaede?"

"Kikyou is the leader of Solferis and Kaede is going to be your teacher. She's a miko too." Inuyasha explained.

"Kikyou? Is that her real name?"

"Yeah, Kikyou Hijima."

"You call your leader by her first name?" Kagome asked, looking incredulous. '_Don't you address her with something? Like Miss or Boss or a codename?' _She wanted to add but decided not to.

"What's wrong? I call you by your first name." He said in defense.

"No you don't." Kagome disagreed. "You call me wench or bitch." She stated plainly.

"Oh yeah," said Inuyasha uncaringly. "I forgot." He began walking towards the door, his back turned to her while his hands were in his pockets. "By the way, the next time you get mad at me. It's better if you shout at me. The silent treatment was weird." He told her like he was trying to give her a piece of advice.

"So you were bothered?" Kagome said, standing up to follow Inuyasha.

"I guess, a little." Inuyasha answered with a shrug, opening the door and closing it behind him softly.

'_Does that mean he cares—even just a little?' _She thought hopefully. She quickly opened the door again to catch Inuyasha opening his own door. "Inuyasha,"

Inuyasha opened his door but didn't come in. Instead, he looked at Kagome and said, "Hm?"

"That arrow." She said, feeling she had to say it to him. "I didn't intend to miss it. You believe me, don't you?"

Inuyasha smiled a little. "It doesn't matter." He told her reassuringly. "I'll make sure that bitch returns your position tomorrow. Get some rest, Kagome. We still have school tomorrow." Inuyasha's door closed with a soft click, leaving Kagome standing in front of her door.

Kagome smiled softly to herself. This time she felt somewhere in her heart that Inuyasha was showing some sort of concern. Inuyasha might have lost his chance but she was willing to give him another chance.

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Woah! A whooping 18 pages?.! Finally it's done! Hope you didn't wait too long… A new rule was imposed on the authors that we are not allowed anymore to respond to our reviewers in a chappie. That's sad… But anyway, if you have written a question for me the last time you reviewed or you just want to see if I have a response to your review, drop by my profile page and look for your name there! I'll still answer reviewers but through my profile page and not here.

Make me happy and make me answer plenty of reviews! )


	6. Settling Favors

A/N: Finally! It's been such a long time since I opened this document! You just don't know what hell I've been through! I'm currently having a break from school but that doesn't mean I'm not busy. I'm currently hooked to ice skating for some unknown reason and our guinea pig just gave birth (just when I thought she had only swallowed a golf ball or something). To those who are still reading my story, a great basket of thanks for all of you! No matter how long it may take for me to update, I will never leave this story. Don't you worry!

Disclaimer: Up until now, I still do not think that I own Inuyasha. No, he's not hidden in my dresser, believe me. Nope, he's not hiding behind the bed either. The red thing you're seeing is just—um—a big carpet!

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 6

_**Settling Favors **_

x

x

x

x

x

"It's just a bracelet." Kagome said to herself, staring at the ceiling of her room. '_But then—no way!'_ She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block the thought that was currently looming in her mind. She went to lie on her side only to find herself looking at the article Inuyasha had given to her.

The moon's subtle glow coming from her window reflected on the surface of the blue sapphire, making it more beautiful for Kagome.

"It's just a bracelet!" She told herself more resolutely this time. '_Inuyasha only gave it to me because he has some money to spare. He said so himself! It's nothing special. He's just starting to be nice to me, that's all… Maybe it's his way of saying that he's sorry for all those things that he had done that made me angry with him…' _Those thoughts placed a smile on her lips and she slept peacefully that night.

Things were definitely getting better for her.

x

"What a great morning!" Kagome beamed widely while she walked beside Inuyasha towards their school.

"Looks like you're extra happy today," observed Inuyasha, looking at Kagome sideways with his hands stuffed inside the pockets of his black school pants.

"I do?" said Kagome, her curious brown eyes looking at Inuyasha with confusion written on them.

"Yeah," replied Inuyasha, pointing a clawed finger at her forehead. "It's like you have this sign posted on your forehead saying, 'I am the happiest girl in the world! No one can screw up my perfect day!' Any special reasons for that?" He mused, cocking his head a little to look at the schoolgirl.

"Well maybe it's because we had oden for breakfast this morning…" Kagome said broodingly, putting a finger on her cheek and looking like she was trying to remember something.

Inuyasha instantly noticed the glimmer from the sapphire on Kagome's silver bracelet when she raised her hand then he averted his gaze from the accessory. "Aren't you just too simple-minded?" He commented with a hint of mockery in his voice. "You feel happy about such trivial things."

Kagome caught the ridiculing tone in Inuyasha's words but she kept her cool. It was too early to fight with Inuyasha and she didn't want to ruin her morning with another argument. "And I think it's also because I got to answer all of the numbers in our Mathematics homework." She smiled again as she remembered the glorious moment when she, Kagome Higurashi, managed to answer all—as in every last one of them—of the problems in their homework. It gave her a sense of pride inside.

But her pride went flopping to the ground when Inuyasha replied with a sneer, "But that was the easiest set of problems we ever had."

"Well…" said Kagome, feeling herself blush slightly. "It doesn't matter! At least I managed to answer them!" She shot back at Inuyasha, wanting so much to wring the neck of the hanyou beside her.

"So that's your reasons huh?" He looked at Kagome in a scoffing manner. "Perhaps if I buy you a candy on our way, you'll be jumping merrily and singing nursery rhymes like a little kid."

"Oh really? And what reasons would you want me to give you then?" The miko countered testily, looking at Inuyasha closely.

"Keh! How would I know?" Inuyasha looked away from her, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze.

A sudden mischievous smile spread on Kagome's lips. She knew it wasn't true but just for the fun of being able to tease Inuyasha, she said it. "You want me to say that I'm happy because of the bracelet you gave me, don't you?" She kept her eyes on Inuyasha while she raised her right hand to make Inuyasha catch a glimpse of the bracelet.

"No, I don't!" Inuyasha snapped at Kagome, quickly looking on the other direction to avoid her eyes.

But just before Inuyasha's head turned, Kagome noticed the shade of red on Inuyasha's cheeks. Her smile became softer—more sincere. She lowered her right hand and looked at the bracelet intently. "Well, since I'm simple-minded—like you said—I guess it is one of my reasons to be very happy today." She stated with pure honesty in her voice.

Inuyasha was surprised once again with Kagome's words. Her words were nice to hear and they made him feel good inside. He couldn't put a finger on the right word to describe what he was feeling. After a few seconds of thinking, he decided to give up. '_Keh!_ _Why the hell do I even bother with this girl? She's always confusing anyway.'_ He thought, throwing away the thought in his mental trash bin.

When Inuyasha didn't say anything, Kagome continued to speak, putting her hand back on her side. "I mean, who wouldn't be happy if you were given such a pretty jewelry, right?" She paused to wait for a comment from Inuyasha, glancing on her left to see if he was even listening to her. She wasn't sure because he was busy watching the cars driving past them on their left. "But that's not the reason why I was happy about the bracelet." She went on after receiving no response whatsoever from her companion. "It's because I realized that you can be nice to me once in a while. I thought you were never going to be friendly with me."

"It doesn't mean anything special, wench!" He pointed out to her, looking at her with an irked expression on his face. "I told you I'm just giving a—"

"I know." She immediately interrupted Inuyasha, her eyes told him that she understood.

Inuyasha hurriedly broke their eye contact because he began to feel that weird feeling again inside him. It was like she was starting to know him—starting to be _close_ to him. '_No. Impossible.' _Again, he brushed the thought aside and hoped that Kagome would stop making him feel that way. It was starting to bug him. In a good or bad way, that was yet another thing he needed to think about—but didn't want to.

Kagome was starting to get worried about Inuyasha's actions. "You're always looking away from me." She brought up, wanting to know what was bothering Inuyasha so much. "Is something wrong?" She inquired, her face was filled with concern.

'_Damn it! She is doing it again!'_ Inuyasha thought when he looked back at Kagome's face and saw the expression on her face. '_Why does she always try to get to me?.?.?' _No answer came to that question of his. '_Keh!_ _I'm not going to let her!' _He mentally said with determination. "Why? Would you prefer that I stare at you?" He smirked at her, eyes flashing with arrogance and bravado.

"Thank goodness!" She sighed in relief. "I thought something was wrong with you! It's good to know you're still your conceited jerk self." She grinned at Inuyasha, tapping his shoulder lightly.

"And you're still the annoying bitch I have to stay with," replied Inuyasha, glowering at her with irritation.

Kagome was more than willing to return the glare Inuyasha was giving her. "Do you really have no plans to call me by my name?" She said between gritted teeth, burning eyes never leaving Inuyasha's.

"I'd rather use 'bitch' or 'wench'. You see, 'bitch'—or 'wench'—has only one syllable. Your name has three. It's easier to use and faster to say. Now do you understand… wench?" He gave her another smirk then added, "See what I mean?"

"Okay then, _jerk_." Kagome said, matching Inuyasha's smirk with one of her own. "From now on I'll be calling you 'jerk'—or 'git'—since you're name is too long as well. I think that will be fair enough, won't it… git?" She smiled sweetly at Inuyasha.

"Smart ass wench."

"Insensitive git."

"I don't want to talk anymore!"

"Neither do I!"

"Fine, bitch!"

"Fine, jerk!"

"Yeah, fine!"

"Yeah, _fine_!"

"Stop copying me, wench!"

"I am _not_ copying you, git!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, crossing his arms in front of him. "Just fucking shut up, bitch!"

"Bite me jerk!" She answered back, clenching her fists on her sides.

"If you continue being mean to me I don't think I'll be inspired to win that duel with that stupid, irritating girl." He smirked at her, daring her to continue their verbal argument.

"If you lose in that match, you'll have to endure the presence of your _little_ fans club and you have to date that stupid, irritating girl too." She reminded him, returning the smirk he gave her as if saying, 'You have a lot more to lose.' Then she added to tease him, "Plus, you'll miss me terribly!"

"Believe me, if the only condition at stake was losing you, I'll surrender without even giving a fight!" He said as he patted Kagome's head like she was an adorable puppy.

She caught Inuyasha's offending hand and dropped it on his side, giving him a 'Don't-You-Dare-Do-That-Again' look. "Are you saying that I should be thankful to you?" She raised an eyebrow, eyeing Inuyasha thoroughly.

"Yes, I think I am." He replied with another smirk plastered on his face.

"In that case, I'll say thank you _after_ you win the duel." Kagome sauntered on, ignoring Inuyasha's smirk completely.

"Say thank you? That's it?" He said, sounding disappointed with the bargain he was getting. "You owe me a great favor! I want more than just a thank you." He pointed out, grabbing the opportunity to have something good out of that pathetic match he knew he would absolutely win.

"And what will that be?" The miko asked curiously. She could smell that Inuyasha was planning to do something that she wouldn't like.

"So it's a deal? If I win, you'll have to do one favor for me as well." Inuyasha started making a mental list of the possible things he could chose from.

"Just as long as it's not embarrassing, stupid, evil or deadly," answered Kagome smoothly. She knew Inuyasha was now doing his list and all of the things written there could be described as embarrassing, stupid, evil or deadly.

Inuyasha scanned the list he was doing and found out that he would have no choices left if he eliminated the things Kagome had just said. He wasn't going to allow that, of course. "Well, that's for me to decide, isn't it?" He smiled playfully at her.

"Does that mean you're going to make me do something embarrassing, stupid, evil _and_ deadly?" Kagome was almost certain he would. '_Evil bastard.'_ She wanted to tell him but instead, she just shot a deadly glare at his direction.

'_Of course I will.' _He wanted to answer her. '_Well, not the deadly part but stupid and embarrassing will be entertaining.'_ He thought, still wearing that mischievous smile. "Depends on my mood. If you'll be nice to me, maybe I'll think of something that won't fall under embarrassing, stupid, evil or deadly." Now that was going to take him some time… Maybe after a year he'd be able to think of something?

Kagome translated Inuyasha's words as 'You have no choice. I'm going to make you suffer!' That was the reason why she slumped her shoulders and muttered to herself, "I'm doomed." She could imagine hearing Inuyasha's evil snicker in the background.

But the truth was Inuyasha was just staring at her with slight amusement in his eyes. "I thought nothing can screw up your perfect day huh?" He just had to say that one.

"You just did, Inuyasha."

"Wow…" He gasped, looking touched with her comment. "You just don't know how happy that made me!"

x

He was getting more and more impatient. It had been more than a year now and they still hadn't collected enough miko energy to produce the Shikon no Tama. He turned at the knocking sound coming from behind the door. It opened to reveal a tall woman in her early twenties, wearing a long red and white skirt with a matching blouse. Her curly dark brown hair was pulled in a tight bun, two feathers accessorizing her chosen hairstyle.

"Kagura, tell me how's it going?" He greeted his underling, looking away completely from the window of his office.

"Not good." Kagura responded, her red eyes looking angry with their current situation. "Solferis is making our mission very difficult. Why don't we kill the bitch behind Solferis to end our misery, Naraku?"

"Not yet," said Naraku in a languid manner, walking towards his chair. "I'm still letting her have some fun. She'll die soon enough. How about the young miko we are targeting? Any improvement with her?"

"You mean the youngest so far?" She asked, looking interested all of a sudden. "A Solferis agent is guarding the miko. I've sent one of our men to keep an eye on her. We'll have her soon." She would make sure they did.

"Good." A small contented smile graced Naraku's face before he turned his chair around so his back was facing Kagura. "You may leave now. Tell Kanna, I'll be going down later to check her work."

"Yes." Kagura simply said then headed towards the door. A certain thought crossed her mind the moment she closed the door behind her. '_There is another young miko…' _She thought, walking slowly to the direction of the laboratory. '_I wonder where she is now…'_

"**Kagura, our tracers have spotted a miko. Should we tell them to go after her?" **

**Kagura suddenly looked alert. She went closer to the communication device and pushed the loudspeaker button. "Is she unguarded?" She questioned quickly. **

"**Just two adults with her."** **The answer came just as fast. "We think they're her parents."**

**A pleased smile was found on Kagura's lips after hearing the answer. "Get her then." She ordered, only a hint of excitement was found in her voice. **

"**By the looks of the girl she's only about fifteen to seventeen." The man on the other line added, followed by a distant scream that said, 'Run!' **

'**_That young huh?'_** **Kagura thought, suddenly interested in meeting this miko. '_She must be extra special…' _She couldn't wait to have her. Naraku would be very happy. "Make sure you catch her. Let her escape and you're good as dead." She turned the loudspeaker off and waited. She knew she wouldn't be waiting too long.**

x

Kagome grinned at the sight she saw when they reached their school. She walked a little faster saying, "Inuyasha, looks like your fans club still hasn't given—"

"Stay close to me." Inuyasha made a tutting sound with his tongue, looking vexed with the distance Kagome was putting between the two of them—which was only three inches more than Inuyasha's basic eight inches maximum distance apart. Or maybe he was more annoyed with the fact that his fans club was still alive and more than kicking. He rolled his eyes inwardly as the girls continued to ogle at him and glower at Kagome.

"What are you talking about?" Kagome turned her head to give Inuyasha a perplexed look. "You can actually grab me if anything—" Her statement was cut short by a gasp from her mouth, feeling Inuyasha's hand grab her hand—no, not wrist—_hand_. "I didn't say you should do it!" She snapped, glaring at Inuyasha wholeheartedly.

"Don't start whining," said Inuyasha, looking not at her but at his fangirls. "It's not like I did it on purpose! I'm trying to protect you here!" He protested in a low voice so only Kagome could hear him.

"Protecting me? From who?" She replied in the same manner, looking around skeptically but saw no one suspicious lurking around. Well, except for Inuyasha's fangirls who were at present holding voodoo dolls with black hair—most probably hers, shooting deadly 'I-Wish-You-Were-Dead' looks at her and planning different ways on how to ambush her and throw her off the nearest cliff. "Your fangirls are sure getting scarier day by day." She tried getting her hand away from Inuyasha's clasp.

"What do you think are you doing?" He asked, looking at Kagome's feeble attempt to free herself from his clutches.

"I'm trying to save myself from dying." Kagome replied, still not surrendering her chances of escaping. "And you're not making it easy, believe me." She raised her hand that was being held by Inuyasha tightly to show it to him.

"Don't try to take the credit off me!" Inuyasha objected, still not having any plans of letting her go. "I'm the one trying to save you here! There's a possibility that one of those girls is a member of Hell's Gate." He shifted his gaze towards the flock of girls scattered in the school grounds.

"You're too paranoid!" Kagome scolded Inuyasha. "I'm not worried about Hell's Gate right now. They'll be killing me for holding hands with you. They'll think I'm flirting with you." She was pertaining to Inuyasha's fangirls. She suddenly caught sight of Nazuna and she knew at once that she wasn't pleased to see Inuyasha with Kagome—_plus_ the fact that they were holding hands. She tore her gaze away from Inuyasha's fangirls and looked at Inuyasha with apprehensive eyes. "Or worse, they might think we're together or something." She was sure those girls would have thought about that. Her friends were _already_ thinking that way so it wasn't all that farfetched.

"Don't you just love to be my girlfriend?" He grinned smugly at her, loving the way her eyes blazed like wild embers.

"Dream on, Inuyasha." She said with a scowl. "I never even dreamed of it." She tugged on her hand hard, struggling again to break free.

Inuyasha squeezed her hand but made sure she wasn't hurt. "Oh sure you do dream of it." His arrogant grin stayed fixed. "If not, why do you want to take your hand off so badly?" His smile widened when Kagome suddenly stopped pulling her hand. "Afraid that you'll melt?" They were past the ITOFC by now but just to torment Kagome some more, he didn't let go of her hand.

"Don't flatter yourself too much, Inuyasha." Kagome retaliated, not planning to do any further move to remove her hand from Inuyasha's grip. She wouldn't give Inuyasha the pleasure of seeing her bow down before him. '_He thinks every girl will kiss the path he walks on. Well, too bad, I won't.' _She thought as they headed to change their shoes before their classes started. "You're the one here who can't let go of me even when I'm obviously out of danger now." She grinned at him before adding, "Scared that you'll lose me?"

"Keh! As if." He scoffed, dropping Kagome's hand nonchalantly and walking straight to his locker to get his shoes.

She smiled victoriously when Inuyasha finally released her hand then followed him towards her own shoe locker. She took out her shoes then replaced them with her outdoor shoes before closing it again. The bracelet around her right wrist caught her attention—more precisely, the sapphire charm on the middle. "So how did you know about my birthstone?" She asked out of curiosity while putting her indoor shoes on.

"Huh? What birthstone?" Inuyasha, who had finished wearing his own pair, looked up absentmindedly at her.

"This sapphire on the bracelet you gave me," answered Kagome, standing straight and pointing at the blue stone decorating her bracelet.

'_Actually I wasn't the one who chose that bracelet.' _Inuyasha's mind wanted to say but it came out as, "I read it on your profile." His voice was smooth as he delivered the words.

"Oh." She couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say. She didn't know why but she was disappointed with the answer she had gotten from Inuyasha. Maybe she was expecting something more special from him? She even felt stupid for asking such a petty question. "Of course…" She found herself saying softly, looking down at her shoes.

"Anyway, let's get moving or we'll be late." Inuyasha walked past Kagome, oblivious of the miko's present feeling. When he found out that Kagome still hadn't moved from her spot, he turned around and walked back to her, feeling annoyed that the girl wasn't paying any attention to what he was saying. "Hey, Kagome! What's up with you? Did you forget how to walk?.!" He took her hand stealthily but made certain that his claws weren't in any way hurting her. Then he pulled her with him, feeling it was also his obligation to _help_ her if ever she forgot how to move her feet.

Kagome had raised her head in surprise when she heard Inuyasha calling her by _her_ _name_—which was Kagome and not wench nor bitch. Her shock was doubled when warmth closed around her hand all of a sudden, meaning that Inuyasha took her hand once again—and began dragging her yet again while saying something about not remembering how to walk. She wasn't really listening to him. Now that her disappointment was forgotten, her mind was occupied by another thing. This time she was busy convincing herself that Inuyasha did call her by her name. Perhaps that was the reason why she didn't bother to pull her hand away.

But then again, maybe there were other reasons too.

x

"Yuka, you mean Inuyasha and Kagome didn't go on a date?.!" Eri cleared what she had just heard from her friend, looking like she missed a really good, once in a lifetime show.

"But I thought they were going on a date!" Ayumi said, looking upset like Eri. "They looked pretty much like they were going on a date."

"Yeah, I know. I also thought of it that way." Eri agreed, putting her elbow on her desk and resting her chin on top of her palm.

"Me too." Yuka said with a sigh, looking at Sango expectantly and waiting for her statement.

"Um… me three?" Sango said uncertainly.

The other three saw past Sango's pathetic attempt to go along with them. "You look like you don't even care!" The three chorused, their faces had the words 'How could you betray us?.!' written clearly.

"It's not like that," said Sango defensively. "I just don't think—wait a minute! How come you only told us now?" She turned her eyes to Yuka intriguingly.

Eri and Ayumi definitely considered Sango's comment and looked at Yuka questioningly. Their 'How-Could-You-Betray-Us' expression was now intended for Yuka. "You should have told us yesterday!" The two said emotionally.

"Well… I sort of forgot." She answered guiltily. "Inuyasha and Kagome were not exactly in good terms yesterday and that got me worried so—"

"You think they had a fight?" Eri asked, forgetting that she should feel betrayed. "Maybe they're okay now."

"I really hope so," said Ayumi, clasping her hands together on her lap.

"Let's not worry too much," said Yuka, in hopes of making her friends happy. "There's something more exciting that Kagome told me on the phone." Yuka grinned seeing the excitement she had stirred on their faces. "You'll be happy about this one." She promised, signaling them to come closer.

The four of them huddled together, listening quietly to what Yuka was about to tell them.

"He did that?.!" Eri exclaimed, her smile was so wide that it reached both of her ears.

"He did not!.?" Sango was surprised beyond belief. '_Kagome went with Inuyasha to HIS apartment?.!' _She thought disbelievingly.

Ayumi was also shocked with the news she received and said, "Don't tell me they—"

"You will be so happy with this one!" Yuka's eyes widened for a while then it was replaced with sheer joy, her eyes never leaving the entrance door.

"They did?.!" Eri squealed in delight at her friend's words.

"No! I mean—"

"They didn't?.!" Eri's smile dropped and she looked very disappointed.

Yuka groaned and held her friend's head lightly then turned it towards the direction she was currently looking at. "Look!"

Inuyasha and Kagome had entered the room.

_While_ holding hands.

Great buzzing and gasping—not to mention crying—began the moment they saw the couple.

Kagome hastily snatched her hand away from Inuyasha's, trying to give out a smile to her classmates. "Good morning!" She greeted, striving hard to maintain her smile. Different reactions could be seen on their faces. Most of them were shocked while the others—also known as Yuka, Eri and Ayumi—were more than elated with the sight before them. Kagome saw Miroku sitting on his chair with a look that visibly read as 'Now this is interesting…'

They weren't the ones that worried Kagome the most. It was the way Chisa and her friend were looking at her that made her feel anxious. They were seated near the entrance of the classroom so it was impossible for them to miss Inuyasha and Kagome when they went in—his hand holding hers.

"Nazuna will definitely hear about this. She's really such a bitch." Kagome heard Chisa say to her friend in a low whisper. That was the time her smile faltered and eventually vanished. She was almost certain that Chisa said it a little louder for her to catch—perhaps to serve as a warning for her.

"What?.!" Inuyasha suddenly burst out, staring arrogantly at everyone who was looking at them. "If anyone wants to say a damn thing, go ahead and fucking spit it out!" He challenged, furious eyes looming at the girl near Kagome—the one who had just talked to her friend.

Chisa kept her head low, unable to meet Inuyasha's eyes. Silence filled the room and slowly, others also began to look away from Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Sheesh. Cowards." He muttered in a scoffing manner, throwing a last scathing look to the girl that was ticking him off, and then turned to Kagome. "Come on." He told her, walking to his seat.

Before Inuyasha could take another step, Kagome suddenly spoke out in a serious, almost compelling, tone. "Inuyasha, we need to talk." With that said, she stepped out of the classroom and waited for Inuyasha to follow her.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, facing her with no particular emotion on his face.

"Why did you do that?" Kagome asked in return, looking into his eyes to search for an answer. "You shouldn't have done something like that!" '_Why is he always resorting to violence and rudeness to fix things?' _She thought, unable to comprehend Inuyasha's choice of solving matters.

The least Inuyasha had expected to receive from her at that moment was a sermon. Since she was starting a fight again, he didn't want to disappoint her. "What do you expect me to do?.!" He questioned, eyes suddenly sparking with annoyance. "Do something stupid and greet them like you did?.!" He said with sarcasm.

Kagome didn't want a fight but she also didn't want Inuyasha acting that way to their classmates. It wasn't the right thing to do. "At least that was better than being rude!" She defended with strong resolve. "As the class president I must control the commotions happening inside—"

"Keh! Maybe you think it's better but I don't." Inuyasha cut her, wanting to hear nothing about her lecture. "That wench was evidently insulting you! And you were doing nothing!" It was a puzzle to him that she was just letting them say anything they wanted about her even though it was offending.

Kagome was taken aback. '_Inuyasha was trying to protect me?' _Not that he had never protected her before. But this one was different. It wasn't her safety that he was protecting—it was her feelings. "I guess I'm used to it. Being around you so often..." She trailed away, smiling a little at Inuyasha. "It's still not right to be rude to others. I handle insults in a different way, Inuyasha but—"

"Don't worry, next time I won't be helping you out!" He interrupted once again, his eyes averting from Kagome. '_Ungrateful wench.'_ He complained inside his mind.

"But thank you for helping me back there." Kagome offered him another smile. This time, more sincere and definitely appreciative in quality. She walked past Inuyasha leisurely and went back inside the classroom.

Inuyasha followed silently, a small but visible smile on the corner of his mouth. He had no more complaints.

x

"I just don't feel like talking to you. So bug off and stop talking to me!" Sango spun her head around and faced the blackboard, looking away from Miroku.

Kagome watched the two silently, getting used to the scene she was seeing. It was always like that when they didn't have a class. Miroku would always try to talk to Sango then eventually ask her on a date. It always ended with a negative response from Sango.

Miroku was quiet for a while, smiling widely at Sango's back. He knew that Sango couldn't resist him. '_Three…two…' _He mentally counted, his smile not leaving its post. '…_one. Now, turn.' _

Sango turned around exactly the moment Miroku had thought and said, "Do me a favor and don't follow me." She stood up and left after that.

Miroku wasn't exactly listening to Sango's words so he followed her, assuming that she had just said, 'Do me a favor and go outside with me.'

Kagome sighed lightly when the pair had gone. Her eyes found their way towards Inuyasha, who was seated behind her. His head was leaning on his desk, using his arms as his pillow. "Hey, Inuyasha!" She called his name, trying to wake him up.

Inuyasha didn't give out any sign that he would be waking up any time soon.

"So Kagome,"

Kagome knew that voice perfectly well. She looked back and saw her three friends smiling at her sweetly. She knew there was no escape now. She would be grilled.

"What's with you and Inuyasha lately?" Eri inquired innocently, sitting on Sango's empty chair and studying Kagome's face with interest.

The miko rolled her eyes inwardly. '_Not this again.' _She complained in her mind. "How many times do I have to tell you?.! There is nothing going on between me and Inuyasha." She said those words in a weary, 'Here-We-Go-Again' tone.

"Sure." The three replied instantly in a tone that told Kagome that they didn't believe her at all.

"Kagome, we just saw you holding hands with Inuyasha." Yuka said, reminding her about the previous scene they had witnessed earlier. "Everyone saw that! Don't tell me that was nothing too!" She added, her eyes looking at Kagome skeptically.

"It was nothing!" Kagome told her friends adamantly. She looked at her back from the corner of her eyes to see if Inuyasha had awakened. He still had his face on his desk. His eyes were hardly seen because his long silvery white mane blocked them. She heaved a sigh of relief in her mind for that little blessing. '_Good thing he's still asleep.' _She thought thankfully.

"Yeah, right." Eri commented, rolling her eyes at Kagome. "Why don't you just admit it?"

Ayumi nodded vigorously at Eri's statement then said to convince Kagome some more, "It's not like we will freak out and scream our heads off!"

Kagome paused, not knowing what to say. Actually, she thought they would exactly do just that if she had told them that Inuyasha and she were indeed together. '_Well, it's not like I'll be telling them something like that anyway.' _She thought at the back of her mind.

"I can't believe he followed me again!" Sango exclaimed, stopping in front of them with her face red with anger.

Everyone's attention switched to Sango at once.

"You mean Miroku?" asked Ayumi, although she was very sure that Sango was talking about him.

"Yeah, that sick stalker!" Sango verified, her eyes blazing with irritation. "He doesn't know when to stop!"

"You like him, don't you?" Yuka suddenly asked, hoping she would catch Sango off guard so she would admit it. She was starting to have a hunch that Miroku and Sango would be together some time soon.

But Sango was always prepared to rebut that certain idea. She looked at Yuka resolutely and said—loud and clear, "No, I don't!"

'_Yeah right.'_ Kagome knew better. She could see it clearly whenever Sango and Miroku fought. '_She just doesn't realize it yet.' _When she made that comment, she suddenly felt queer. Was she talking about Sango and Miroku or was it...? She stopped her trail of thoughts rapidly. '_Impossible.' _She reminded herself.

"Okay…" Eri dragged the word so long that it sounded really sarcastic.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Sango shot back, eyeing her friends one by one. "Never mind, no point in wasting my energy to convince all of you." She pulled an empty seat and dropped on it. "So what are you talking about?" She needed to turn the spotlight to someone else.

"Kagome still doesn't want to admit that Inuyasha's her boyfriend." Ayumi told Sango, pouting a little at their friend's tenacity.

Kagome sighed in frustration, still not willing to give in to her friends' constant nagging. "But he's not my boyfriend!" She asserted, slamming her right hand on her desk to emphasize her stand.

"Wow… nice bracelet." Sango smiled admiringly at the article that adorned Kagome's right wrist. "Haven't seen that before…" She added suggestively, her eyes watching Kagome closely.

"Eh…" Kagome slowly retrieved her hand to hide below her desk but Yuka was too quick for her.

"Inuyasha gave it to you, didn't he?" Yuka looked at the bracelet Kagome was wearing with sudden interest while she had a firm grip on Kagome's arm so she couldn't pull it away. "It looks expensive enough." She added with a small smile, studying the jewelry's material.

"Well…" She tried to pull her arm again but Yuka didn't want to comply. "It's nothing special! He only gave it as a friendly gift!" She reverted to defending herself and proving that she had no such relationship with Inuyasha as they so much like to say.

"So Inuyasha did give it to you," said Yuka contentedly, releasing Kagome's arm at last.

"He obviously likes you," stated Ayumi with full confidence. "He won't give a _friendly_ gift if he doesn't like you." She beamed at Kagome and added, "That means you're special to him."

"It's not like that!" Kagome insisted once more, lowering her right arm to conceal the bracelet she was wearing. "You never listen to me!" She griped with a frown on her face.

"But with the things Inuyasha is doing," started Sango, looking at Kagome directly. "… I'm starting to think so too." She continued, a small smile playing on her lips. "He's not that bad, after all."

"Sango! Not you too!" Kagome was doomed. Even Sango believed that there was _something_ happening between her and Inuyasha.

"We can't deny the signs he's showing. He seems very interested in you," said Sango with some level of certainty. Her eyes were suddenly distracted when someone entered the room.

Kagome stopped herself from rolling her eyes. '_You don't know the real reason why.' _She wanted to say but kept her silence. They would only keep on insisting if she continued to deny it.

"And it's not like we're against him," said Eri in an encouraging manner. "If you still don't know, we want Inuyasha for you." She placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder and smiled at her in hopes of encouraging her to finally admit.

"Do you want me to die?" She stared at her friends incredulously. "For your information, Inuyasha's fans club is already hunting me down—and I'm not even his girlfriend!" She took another glance to check on Inuyasha and was comforted by the fact that he was still sleeping. '_He must be in a very very very deep sleep,' _thought Kagome, pulling her eyes away from Inuyasha's direction.

"Inuyasha's there to protect you, isn't he?" Kagome heard Sango say in a comforting way. "You don't need to worry."

'_He does protect me,' _said Kagome in her head. She opened her mouth to tell them that it was different though. Inuyasha wasn't protecting her because he _wanted_ to, it was his duty. He was _obligated_ to protect her. "But you don't un—"

"Love will conquer everything, Kagome." Ayumi interrupted her all of a sudden. She sounded like she was giving a reassuring statement to comfort a brokenhearted person.

'_Love?.!' _Kagome repeated the word in her mind, feeling her forehead cringe in confusion. '_This has got to stop.' _She thought and stood up hurriedly. "I forgot I need to go to the faculty room to talk to Miss Homura." She left without any further words to her inquisitors.

The three watched Kagome go then sighed in defeat.

"We still haven't got her," said Yuka dejectedly, slumping her shoulders.

"I know," said Eri sympathetically. "We're a failure." She turned her head to look at Inuyasha only to find that he was no longer napping on his desk. She looked around their classroom but didn't find him anywhere. "Hey, where's Inuyasha?" She asked her companions curiously.

"He went after Kagome, didn't you notice?" Sango answered, pointing to the door where Kagome had exited.

"Do you think we should go after them?" Eri asked, looking at Yuka and waiting for her suggestion.

Yuka looked back at Eri with a raised eyebrow. "And spoil their _moment _together?" She said disapprovingly. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Everyone nodded in agreement except for Sango. She was busy glaring at Miroku, who was currently flirting with one of their girl classmates.

"That jerk!" Sango muttered under her breath and walked off towards the door quickly, passing by Miroku without a fleeting glare, look or whatsoever. Miroku followed immediately, not letting another second elapse.

"You know, we better start asking Sango soon…" Yuka said to the remaining two as she watched Miroku go after Sango outside the classroom. "I can sense something's going on between her and Miroku."

"Me too." Eri acceded with a nod.

"Me three!" Ayumi chirped happily. This was going to be more fun. They had two cases to crack now.

x

"So this is the faculty room, huh?"

Kagome looked around her and saw Inuyasha leaning on the wall near the door of the girls' bathroom. "Inuyasha?" She approached him and asked, "What are you do—never mind." She already knew the answer Inuyasha would be giving her. '_It's his task to follow you around in order to protect you.' _She reminded herself. "Wait—you weren't asleep then?.!" She instantly panicked when she remembered the comment Inuyasha had made about the restroom being the faculty room. '_Does that mean he heard everything we were discussing a while ago?.!.?' _Her heart began beating faster as she looked at Inuyasha nervously.

"I was," said Inuyasha calmly, standing straight and pulling his back away from the wall he had been leaning on, "but I woke up when I heard you leaving."

'_Good.' _She breathed normally again, releasing the air she had been holding for some time now. A small smile appeared on her lips as she said, "It's a good thing you didn't go barging inside the girls' restroom again." She began walking again, not expecting to hear an answer from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome's back for a second before following her until he was walking beside her.

Kagome's face looked calm but she still had that smile on her lips. The corridor they were taking was completely vacant because the others were still having classes.

"You got mad when I did that." Inuyasha suddenly spoke, looking straight in front of him and not at Kagome's direction.

Kagome was surprised to hear Inuyasha's sudden words that she looked at him with deeply impressed eyes. "Does that mean you're trying to consider my feelings now?" She asked, feeling like it was too good to be true.

"Maybe." His answer came shortly, chancing a quick look at Kagome. "Because if I won't, you might cancel our deal about the favor you'll be doing for me." He added, feeling more comfortable with the second answer he had given.

Kagome's expression of appreciation left her eyes. "You really want me to do you a favor, don't you?" She asked, fixing her peeved eyes on Inuyasha.

"Why not?" He asked, looking back at the miko with curiosity. "I'm doing you a lot of favors." He pointed out with a smile full of assertion. "Hey! Where are you going?" He suddenly stopped when Kagome turned left instead of right.

Kagome looked over her shoulder but went on walking. "Do you want to go to the canteen with me?" She questioned then added, "I'm kind of hungry."

"It's not like I have any choice, right? I go wherever you go, remember?" Inuyasha said, walking towards Kagome with one hand in his pocket. "If you like, I'll treat you to some food." He offered almost kindly.

Kagome stopped walking and stared at Inuyasha guardedly. "If I agree, does that mean I'll owe you another favor?"

"Relax," said Inuyasha with a reassuring smile. "This one's free." He patted Kagome on one shoulder then walked past her.

"Good, I won't refuse then." She smiled cheerfully and went to go after Inuyasha.

x

"Kagome, do you want to hang out with us at McDonald's?" Yuka swung her backpack over her shoulder, standing next to Kagome as she watched Kagome put her school things back inside her own bag. '_So we can continue our grilling with you.' _She almost spoke the words when she didn't hear Kagome's response.

"Kagome, come on!" Inuyasha called out. He was standing near the door, arms crossed impatiently over his chest.

"All right! No need to shout, you know!" She replied, glaring a little at Inuyasha. She turned to look at her friends, who were all in front of her. "Sorry guys but I have other plans for today. Maybe some other time, okay?" She smiled apologetically at them then turned to go.

"You mean with Inuyasha?"

Kagome stilled in her position. '_Please don't let them start again…' _She prayed from the bottom of her heart before turning on her heels to face them again. "Well… yeah but—"

"Wench, if you don't hurry we'll be late!" Inuyasha grumbled, narrowing his amber eyes at Kagome's direction.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" She said to Inuyasha but she turned to her friends again to say one more thing. "But it's not a date so stop thinking that it's a date!" She whispered so only the three girls could hear her. "Bye guys!" She gave out a cheerful smile and then she was off.

"You think she's telling the truth?" Eri asked, looking at the three for their comments. Kagome was gone and so was Inuyasha.

The three looked at each other contemplatively for a couple of seconds.

"Nah." They all chorused, shaking their heads.

x

Kagura walked along the dark corridor and stopped in front of the farthest door. The light inside the room was open. Her hand clasped the knob and turned it softly.

"Kanna." She looked at the petite girl across her. She had straight white hair that went past her shoulders and her eyes were misty like in some kind of daze.

"Kagura, what is your business here?" Her voice was monotonous and soft like she was talking in her sleep. She placed her hands in the pockets of her white laboratory gown as she watched Kagura move towards her.

"Naraku will be down here later to check on your work." Kagura informed her, looking at the big machine that was situated at the center of the room. Most of the machine's size was the large glass globe that was shining like there were a hundred of light bulbs inside it.

"The energy we have collected is far from enough." Kanna showed Kagura a clipboard and pointed the numbers at the bottom. "The mikos you are bringing are fewer every passing month. This is taking too much time." She shook her head disappointedly.

"Blame that to those agents of Solferis!" Kagura griped, biting her lower lip lightly.

"Why is Naraku prohibiting you to attack the target's residence again?" Kanna raised a curious head to look at Kagura.

"Remember the last two incidents when we went to snatch the target at their respective houses?" asked Kagura, examining her claws idly as she talked. "A lot of our men were killed during the encounters and the police has been after us ever since. We need to keep a low profile. Naraku doesn't want to create large scenes so we need to work cautiously."

"I guess Naraku's right." Kanna watched a faint reflection of herself in front of the machine's glass. She looked like a little girl but in fact, she was older than Kagura. Being both youkais, it was hard to tell their exact ages. "It's already hard dealing with Solferis. We don't need more eyes keeping watch on us."

"At present, we have seven targets. Three of which are located here in Japan."

"Who's the first priority on your list?" Kanna couldn't wait to have another miko inside this room. She didn't have much to do unless there was a miko to be drained of her energy.

"The youngest one." Kagura smiled wickedly, her eyes sparkling with interest and excitement. "The girl living at Higurashi Shrine."

x

Inuyasha and Kagome arrived at Sougeki's without any difficulty. Inuyasha immediately rented a gun and started shooting.

Kagome stood beside him, watching him play. "Aren't you nervous?" She asked, looking at Inuyasha as he took his aim.

"No."

"Even a bit?" She tried again.

"No."

"What if you lose?" It was possible after all.

"That won't happen." Losing was never included in Inuyasha's vocabulary.

"There's always a possibility." She reminded him, not liking the fact that he was being too confident. It was dangerous and Inuyasha might act rashly.

"Keh! I'll demand a rematch." He pulled the trigger smoothly and was contented to find that he had hit his target head-on.

"What if Nazuna won't agree?"

'_Damn wench! Why does she have to ask so many fucking questions?.!' _Inuyasha frowned, annoyed that she was distracting him—very much. But he answered her anyway. "I'll force her to agree."

Kagome heaved a sigh in surrender. "So you can't lose?"

"Damn right." Inuyasha told her, twirling the gun effortlessly on one hand and looking at Kagome with a smirk. His smirk widened when he saw the girls nearing them. One of them was Nazuna.

Kagome didn't have any time to look at her back to see who Inuyasha was smirking at. She just felt herself being pushed aside—roughly, accompanied by a cold voice that said, "You're on my way. Move, bitch!"

Inuyasha quickly outstretched his arm to prevent Kagome from stumbling towards the floor, making Nazuna frown deeply.

"Ouch!" Kagome cried out, once she had regained her balance. "Hey, that hurts!" She spun around to glower at the girl who had jostled her. '_I should have known.' _She thought, disliking Nazuna even more.

Inuyasha was also looking at Nazuna but he didn't say anything. He didn't remove his eyes from Nazuna then said, "Stay at the back."

Kagome knew that Inuyasha was talking to her. When she looked into his eyes and saw seriousness, determination and something else, she knew it was better to follow than argue with him. She walked towards one of the empty benches situated at the back. It wasn't that far from the shooting area so she could still see the things happening at the shooting area.

'_Inuyasha, do your best.' _

x

"Ready to lose?" Inuyasha's smirk returned. He looked at the girls standing behind Nazuna and saw someone familiar among them. It was the girl who insulted Kagome in their classroom—it was Chisa.

"Shall we do this one by one or at the same time?" Nazuna inquired, looking at the shooting gallery. She wondered what game Inuyasha had decided to play. '_Whether it's the stationary or moving targets, it won't change anything.' _She thought to herself.

"One by one. I want to watch you lose." He told her, amber eyes fixed intently at her. He was going to make sure he'd win this one.

"All right." Nazuna smiled softly at him.

"You want to start first?" Inuyasha gave her the gun he had been using.

"How sweet of you." She took the gun while not taking her eyes off Inuyasha.

"Not really." Inuyasha looked back at her but without any kindness or warmth. "If I go first you might not get a chance to hold the gun anymore." He said to her seriously. "Just one round. The one who shoots the greater number of moving targets wins."

"One round? Aren't you being too confident?" Nazuna ignored the taunts Inuyasha threw at her. '_He'd be taking them back later anyway…'_

"Just go ahead and shoot the fucking targets!" Inuyasha snapped, tired of talking to her. '_Noisy bitch.'_

With that, Nazuna pushed the button and began to aim.

x

Kagome was watching the game attentively, her heart beating loudly inside her chest.

"It's impossible for Inuyasha to win." Kagome heard someone say from the bench beside hers. It was one of the ITOFC members. "Nazuna memorizes the whole game. She's always playing here."

'_Inuyasha…' _The worry Kagome felt doubled after hearing that. But she still believed that Inuyasha could do it. '_After all, he is good at guns.' _She reassured herself, thinking about the time Hell's Gate had attacked them at Inuyasha's apartment. Inuyasha managed to protect her and that was because he was good at using guns.

Someone sat beside Kagome but she didn't pay attention. She was engrossed with the play Nazuna had been showing. '_I hate to admit it but… she is very good at this.' _She thought, noting that Nazuna hadn't missed a single target yet.

"Who do you think will win?"

Kagome turned her head to her left and saw a tall boy with dark brown hair, sitting beside her. She noticed that he was wearing the same uniform as Inuyasha's. "Um… do I know you?" She cringed her forehead in confusion. Maybe he had mistaken her for someone else?

The boy flashed him a friendly smile then said, "I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Youichi Houjou from Section B." He extended a hand for Kagome to shake.

"I'm Kagome." She took his hand with a smile on her own lips, shaking it for a while before letting go. "Kagome Higurashi."

"Higurashi? You live at Higurashi Shrine then?" Houjou asked, showing her the charm he had bought there. "I visited the shrine yesterday afternoon."

"Yes, I live there." She answered him, looking back at the game. She hadn't noticed if Nazuna had missed any of the targets. She had lost her concentration in the game. She resorted to looking at the score on top of the stall. Kagome's heart skipped a beat when she saw the score. Nazuna still hadn't missed a single one.

"Nazuna's pretty good. Tsuzuki will have a hard time with her." Houjou told Kagome, seeing that she was still paying attention to the game.

"No," said Kagome determinedly. "I know Inuyasha will win." She fastened her hands together and started a silent prayer. '_Please let Inuyasha win…'_

"Youichi?.! Why are you talking to the enemy?.!" One of the ITOFC members exclaimed, glaring at Kagome as she spoke.

"The enemy?" Houjou repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You mean Higurashi?" He looked at Kagome then smiled. "She's not an enemy. She's our schoolmate."

"Houjou, I think it's better if you just stay away from me." Kagome said in a hushed voice, smiling a little at Houjou. "They'll think you're fraternizing with _the enemy_." She made a hand gesture of quotation marks when she said the words 'the enemy'.

Houjou smiled back. "Those girls are being too mean." He said, looking at them with dislike in his eyes. He stood up and pointed to his watch. "I have to go. I need to do some errands." He said regretfully. "I guess I'll just see you around the school! Bye for now!" He waved his hand then went on his way.

Kagome waved back, smiling at him as she watched him go. She glanced at the ITOFC girls seated on the bench next to hers and sighed when she found out that they weren't looking at her anymore. And for good reason…

It was Inuyasha's turn.

x

Inuyasha's attention was diverted when he saw someone sit beside Kagome from the corner of his eyes. He was bothered even more because it was a boy. '_What the hell does this one want?.!' _He thought, looking guardedly at the pair. He placed his hand inside his pocket and wrapped his hand around his gun—the real one.

He guarded every movement the boy did, making sure that he wasn't touching Kagome very much. He nearly drew his gun when he saw the boy raise his hand in front of Kagome, thinking that he was about to attack her. He relaxed a little when he saw that he only meant to shake her hand.

Not until the boy had left did Inuyasha take his eyes off the two of them.

"Inuyasha?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha looked at Nazuna inattentively, still making certain that the boy had gone by now.

"I'm done." Nazuna declared to him with a smug smile, moving aside to let him stand on the place she had been standing on.

"Good then." Inuyasha snatched the gun from her hand and stepped on the place she had vacated from. He looked at the score but didn't look intimidated. "Fifty-nine out of sixty targets. That's nice." He drawled, not even bothering to try to sound complimentary.

"You can't win against me." Nazuna said for sure.

"I already won," said Inuyasha with the same level of certainty. "By the way, I want to add a few conditions to our deal. I'll just discuss them after I hit _all _of the targets, okay?" He didn't wait for Nazuna's answer. Instead, he pushed the button and started shooting.

'_Fucking easy.'_ Inuyasha thought and pulled the trigger to shoot his first target.

x

"And that makes it official." Inuyasha dropped the gun on the table and beamed arrogantly at Nazuna. He looked once more at the score he got and then back to Nazuna's angry face.

"Inuyasha, you won!" Kagome rushed towards Inuyasha and smiled happily at him. "Congratulations!" She said, her smile not wearing off.

Inuyasha turned his head to Kagome and gave her a look that read, 'I told you I'll win.'

"Give me all of your conditions then," said Nazuna with her hands clenched at her sides. "Aside from the ITOFC's abolition including all of its activities, what do you want?" She looked at Kagome and glared at her intensely, wanting to blame her so much for all of this.

The ITOFC girls now stood behind Nazuna and they were all crying at the defeat their leader had gotten.

Inuyasha ignored all of them. "I also said that I wanted you to stay away from her," said Inuyasha, looking at Kagome's direction, "and I want you to return her position as the archery club's president."

"Done," said Nazuna briefly, looking down on the floor and clenching her fists tighter. "Is that all?"

"Also…" Inuyasha looked at Nazuna and enjoyed the way she had lost. '_That's what you get for pissing me off.' _He scoffed at her in his head. "I want you to apologize to her…" He said, not looking at Kagome as he continued, "… for what you did to her earlier."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha in shock. Inuyasha had just asked Nazuna to apologize to her…?

Nazuna quickly lifted her head to show her eyes burning with fury. "Why?" She asked Inuyasha earnestly. "Why do you care so much about her?.!"

Kagome held Inuyasha's sleeve to call his attention. "Inuyasha, you don't need to—"

"Keh! It's my conditions. You have no choice but to obey them!" Inuyasha said commandingly, ignoring Kagome's tugging on his sleeve.

"It's true then?" Nazuna asked, looking at Inuyasha then at Kagome. "That bitch is your girlfriend?.!" All of the ITOFC stopped crying all at once at the said question. They were waiting for this very moment ever since they laid eyes on Inuyasha and Kagome.

Inuyasha smiled all of a sudden, taking Kagome's hand that was on his sleeve. He pulled her towards him so Kagome was facing him. "Yes," said Inuyasha loud and clear, looking down at Kagome's brown eyes. "This _girl_ is my girlfriend."

Kagome's eyes widened in horror and absolute surprise. Inuyasha's words left her in such a deep shock that she didn't even manage to gasp or open her mouth.

But her eyes told Inuyasha more than enough.

She was startled _and_ she wanted to shout at him—but couldn't.

'_It's a good thing she can't.' _Inuyasha thought gratefully.

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Hehe… I'm a little biased. I call Houjou by his last name. Well, you can't stop me. I hate the guy. Anyway, I'm back with an evil cliffie! Please do leave me a review. That's the only thing that keeps me from having a writer's block.


	7. Stirring More Conflicts

A/N: I'm so glad to have new reviewers! Thank you so much to those people who bother reading my story even though I tend to take soooo long in updating. Much more thanks to those who bother some more to write a couple of lines for me to read afterwards! I thought I would finish this chapter before Christmas but I was dead wrong. I'm sorry guys.

This chapter is for YuniX-2. For seeing through my plans (you got me there!), for being a very loyal and constant reader (and reviewer) and for all those wonderful reviews you gave me in my every story, you're simply wonderful!

Now, here's where merry hell begins! (Oh wait, the merry hell begins after you read the disclaimer!)

x

Disclaimer: Honestly, do you think I own him? (I sometimes do.) But sadly, Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just a fangirl having some fun.

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 7

_**Stirring More Conflicts**_

x

x

x

x

x

'_WHAT IS HE DOING?.!.?.!' _Kagome's mind erupted as she continued to glare at Inuyasha, trying to put some sense into his thick head. "Inuyasha, what do you think are you—"

"I can't help it, baby." Inuyasha cut in, smiling sappily at her. "They just have to know the _truth_. It's fucking hard to hide _our relationship_." He was starting to get the hang of this. He could tell by now that she wanted to purify him badly. Again, he was thankful that she still couldn't.

'_Did he just call me 'baby'?.!' _Kagome felt her stomach being pushed to her throat. She looked at her hand which was being held by Inuyasha then back at his face. '_You jerk! You're getting us into trouble!'_

Everyone stared at Inuyasha and Kagome in confusion and surprise. Kagome could feel their eyes burning at her even though she had her back turned to them. She silently thanked Inuyasha for doing her that little favor so she couldn't see the anger and hatred on the ITOFC members' faces.

Inuyasha studied Kagome for a while then cleared his throat to snap everyone out of their own thoughts—including Kagome. "Now that that's clear. Let's finish our business." He spun Kagome around so she was facing all of the members of ITOFC and placed one of his hands on her shoulder so his arm would be wrapping her back. "Apologize _now_." He was looking straight at Nazuna, eyes looking rather menacing.

Nazuna clasped her hands into tight balls once again, finding it hard to say the apology Inuyasha wanted her to say. She looked at Kagome's face to see her reaction and was surprised to see that she didn't look smug like she had expected her to be—in fact, she didn't look happy at all.

Kagome knew it was hard for Nazuna to say sorry and she didn't want to make her suffer, even though she did many nasty things to her. '_Besides, if I want an apology from her, I don't want someone forcing her to say it…' _She thought, looking at Nazuna's eyes. "It's okay, you don't need to a—"

"Say it." Again, Inuyasha disagreed with her. He really wanted to make Nazuna pay for everything she had done. He wanted to embarrass her and teach her that she shouldn't be messing around with him—or Kagome. '_She had no right to hurt Kagome.' _That was the sole thought in his mind at that moment. '_Kagome's too forgiving for her own good. She has to act tough from time to time.' _Luckily, Inuyasha was there to do that for her.

But somehow, Kagome didn't feel moved anymore by the way Inuyasha was treating Nazuna. Deep inside, something was telling her that Inuyasha wasn't doing this for her. '_He's doing it just to annoy Nazuna… To make her pay for bothering him.' _Kagome didn't want to believe it but she couldn't help but doubt. Was Inuyasha really doing it for her? She still hoped he was.

Nazuna hated Kagome even more. She blamed her for all of this. For Nazuna, Kagome was the one who made Inuyasha treat her like that. '_If she didn't follow Inuyasha around, Inuyasha would have treated me nicely. It's all her fault.' _She thought, hatred for the girl in front of her increasing every minute that passed by. She locked her eyes with Kagome and took a deep breath. Then she let it out with one word, "Sorry." But the words she really wanted to say to Kagome were, 'I hate you dearly and you'll pay.'

Kagome could see it clearly in her eyes. Her mouth and eyes spoke two different things. She barely gave a nod to acknowledge her so-called _apology_.

"You too." Kagome heard Inuyasha say to Chisa impatiently. "Apologize."

Unlike Nazuna, Chisa didn't need any more convincing. "I'm so sorry, Kagome. I promise I won't do it again!" She said, looking totally ashamed that Inuyasha remembered her for insulting Kagome earlier.

"It's okay…" She found herself saying to Chisa then looking towards Inuyasha's direction. He still had that menacing, serious look on his face. '_He really wants to make a big deal out of this…' _She thought, looking at Inuyasha's hand that was resting comfortably on her shoulder. '_Jerk.'_

Looking contented with the apologies given by the two, Inuyasha smirked and pronounced happily, "Okay, you can fuck off now!" He pulled Kagome closer to him making their shoulders touch and added, "And don't bother _us_ again." His eyes still looked threatening even with the happy tone he used to dismiss them.

Everyone looked hesitant to go, looking at Nazuna for her instruction. After all, she was the leader. Nazuna stood still, looking at Kagome with anger still evident in her eyes.

Kagome wanted to break the eye contact she had with Nazuna but she stood firm, not wanting Nazuna to know that she was able to intimidate her with just one scary look. The miko looked back at her determined to glare back this time. But Kagome didn't get to glare at Nazuna when she heard Inuyasha's words.

"Or maybe you need further proofs like… a kiss perhaps?" With that said, Inuyasha swung Kagome so speedily that she didn't have time to react anymore. She just found herself leaning diagonally with Inuyasha's hands supporting her back and the most shocking thing of all, Inuyasha was staring back at her.

His lips hovered just a couple of inches away from hers.

And it was closing in more and more.

Kagome had gotten over her shock only to be replaced with panic. If she pushed Inuyasha away from her, that would mean that he couldn't support her anymore and she was going to fall on the floor, her head cracking open for all of them to see. She didn't have any time anymore to debate if Inuyasha's kiss was worse than dying.

One more second and he would be kissing her.

'_Inuyasha, don't you dare—!' _She closed her eyes tightly, held her breath and prayed hard that this was all just a terrible nightmare.

"Hey,"

Kagome cracked one eye open to find herself still in Inuyasha's arms and much to her horror—Inuyasha's face was still in a uncomfortable distance from hers. A smirk lit up Inuyasha's features and for one split-second Kagome thought he was still planning to kiss her.

"Too bad we didn't get to kiss, huh?" Inuyasha's smirk still lingered as he slowly returned her to an upright position. He didn't know why he loved playing around with Kagome. '_Maybe because she is cute to annoy?'_ He thought to himself before he could even stop his train of thoughts. He mentally hit himself for that thought and adjusted his mental censors. He repeatedly chanted in his head that Kagome was not cute.

Kagome looked around to see that the ITOFC members had all gone. She fixed her eyes back to Inuyasha and stared at him incredulously. "I can't believe you just said that."

"What?" Inuyasha asked and before he could catch himself, he did it again. "You mean the kissing part or the—"

Kagome wasn't that receptive to Inuyasha's teasing. She was vexed at the moment and she would very much like to let Inuyasha know about it. "Everything!" She cut him, placing her knuckles against her waist. "Can't you see the way they looked at me a while ago?.! I'll be the talk of the whole campus tomorrow!" She hid her mortified face behind her hands, thinking that her whole life was going to be ruined. Her reputation was now in the mud.

"That can't be helped." Inuyasha cocked his head a little, a boyish grin on his lips as he watched Kagome sinking in despair. "Your boyfriend's famous."

'_Why does he have to rub it in like that?.!.?' _The miko thought, clenching her hands again and glaring at the hanyou standing before her. "You're not my boyfriend!" She jabbed a finger on his chest, looking furiously at him. "I don't even remember a time when I agreed to be your girlfriend!"

"That will be right now," said Inuyasha simply, looking back at Kagome with a composed expression on his face.

"No, it won't." She said between gritted teeth, eyes burning terribly.

"Yes, it will."

"You can't make me!"

'_Stubborn to the core, aren't you?' _He thought, sighing inwardly. '_It's a good thing I've got a plan.' _His amber eyes glinted with a promise to Kagome that she wouldn't have any choice left. He opened his mouth and let her have it. "That's the favor I'm going to ask from you."

"Blackmailer!" Kagome shot back, unable to believe the extent Inuyasha's evilness had reached. She looked around them and was grateful to find that nobody was paying attention to their not-so-quiet fight. Well, except for a few teenagers like themselves who glanced at them curiously. And an adult couple sitting on a nearby bench who was also watching them from the corner of their eyes. Also, there was two girls giggling madly and talking about young lovers' quarrels. Okay, so a lot of people noticed them but at least they weren't staring openly. Kagome tried to ignore them just like Inuyasha was obviously doing. She gave the young lad another biting look. How she wished she had claws that very moment—and fangs to bite him literally.

"Oh come on!" Inuyasha rolled his golden yellow eyes. "It's not like I'm doing this to have fun." He said in defense although he knew pretty well that he was telling a big fat lie—not that Kagome needed to know that.

Just like Kagome had read Inuyasha's mind, she instantly retaliated with the words, "But you are!"

The girl was pretty clever to Inuyasha's utter disappointment. "Well, _besides_ that," said the hanyou, running a hand to comb his long silvery white hair. "We _both_ gain benefits from this arrangement." He smiled mentally when he saw confusion in her eyes. '_Good,' _He thought victoriously. '_She's finally catching on—well, soon anyway. I hope.' _Okay, so he wasn't sure yet. He knew she needed a bit more convincing—maybe a little bit more than a bit.

'_Benefits?'_ She thought, unable to grasp the exact meaning of Inuyasha's words. She raised one eyebrow to show that she was a bit intrigued. "Benefits like—we are so not going to make out soon, okay?.!" She spun around to face the adult couple seated near them, her whole body sending signs that she was going to explode any minute now. "Stop betting on how long it will take before we do it! We're not doing it!"

The pair looked at her with mouths hanging open and eyes as wide as saucers.

Feeling like they needed some more convincing, Kagome went on saying, "He's not even my boyfriend to start with!" She pointed at Inuyasha, who was currently watching the scene in stunned silence. "Is it clear now?.! He's not my boyfriend!" She repeated for good measure.

The traumatized pair—obviously older than them by three to four years—nodded dumbly, scrambled to their feet and ran for their lives.

Kagome closed her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. '_Calm down, Kagome. Calm down. You're a cultured, sensible, young woman and you will handle this in a peaceful way.' _She reminded herself before she turned on her heels to face Inuyasha again. "As I was saying," She paused to clear her throat, giving the other people staring explicitly at them by now time to return to their respective businesses before she gave them the same dreadful treatment. "Benefits like what?" She asked Inuyasha sternly, her voice only enough for Inuyasha to hear. This was a private matter they were discussing.

Inuyasha closed his gaping mouth just in time as Kagome turned back to him. He hated to admit it but the girl was very scary at times. He was amazed at how easily she had intimidated the two adults a while ago. '_She is truly a bitch at times.' _He thought with a sneer then proceeded to answering her question. "Like we can use this as an excuse on why we are always together." His previous amazement in her sudden temperamental outburst didn't show in the way he spoke. No way was he going to give her an idea that she had actually amazed—not amused—him. He talked like he hadn't even seen a thing.

And Kagome was thankful for that. '_At least he didn't give another smart comment on that one,' _thought Kagome, her eyes lingering on Inuyasha's eyes for a brief moment before looking away. What was she trying to see in his eyes? What exactly? She discarded her thoughts and went back to the task at hand. "That's it?" She said, sounding unconvinced. "You call that benefit for _both_ of us?" '_Selfish bastard.'_ She muttered in her head.

Inuyasha smirked to hide the alarm he felt in his heart. The way her eyes looked at him for a moment. What was she trying to find? Or better, what did she want to see? He didn't want to think at the moment so threw the thought in his mental trash bin and told himself that he had just imagined it. "No," He said smugly. "That will be my benefit. Your benefit will be no more friends pestering you to ask if we're together or not." He looked like he had just given her the greatest part of the deal.

She couldn't stop the blush that spread on her cheeks at Inuyasha's said profit. "You knew!" She gasped, shock evident in her wide eyes. "I thought you were sleeping!"

"Who could sleep with all that chattering you've been doing?.!" He _was_ hanyou after all. His sense of hearing was very sensitive that even footsteps could have woken him up. What more if it were five noisy schoolgirls not bothering to lower their voices?

"I can't believe this…" Surprise was soon replaced by misery and hopelessness in her eyes. "After all the effort I've given to insist that you're not my boyfriend, you want me to tell everyone that we _are_ actually having a relationship!" She bowed her head in near defeat. She had a very bad feeling that Inuyasha had bribed good luck to leave her in his evil clutches.

A victorious smile was tugging ever so slowly at Inuyasha's lips. He knew she was going to fall shortly and admit defeat. "That means you agree, right?" He asked hopefully, tilting his head to see her face.

Kagome's head shot up again with renewed hope in her chocolate brown eyes. "Wait! I thought you won't make me do something stupid, embarrassing, evil or deadly?" She asked Inuyasha with scrutiny. "That one falls under the four of them!" She objected.

'_Can you just fucking admit defeat and agree?.!' _He wanted to growl at her but stopped himself. '_Give her more time.' _He wisely advised himself, although it was so hard for him to do so. He was never patient with anything. "How can it be under all four of them?" He asked her instead, daring her to prove her point.

She was more than willing to attest her stand. In fact, she had anticipated this from Inuyasha so she had her defenses planned out. With a soft sigh, she began. "Stupid because it is the most clichéd excuse anyone can think of." She gave Inuyasha a sarcastic look and added, "Don't you know that they use that a lot to get a girl and a boy together in a romance movie?.!"

"Keh! You're just watching too many romance movies for your own good." Her defenses won't beat him.

'_Time for reason number two,' _thought Kagome, knowing Inuyasha wouldn't easily be persuaded with just one alibi. "Embarrassing because I'll be the talk of the whole school—"

"You should be happy. You're going to be famous because I'm your boyfriend." He shot her another boyish charming smile that sent the two girls, who were eyeing them from time to time, to sigh dreamily.

'_Oh please! His fans club has more than enough members!' _Kagome wanted to say to them but she preferred to glare at Inuyasha dearly. "Evil because it is a big fat made-up story _and_ deadly because your _precious_ fangirls will be killing me now that you have verified their hunch that I am your girlfriend."

"As if! They won't be able to kill you as long as I'm around." Inuyasha rolled his golden yellow eyes that were filled with conviction.

"Wow, I feel so much safer." She muttered scathingly. But she knew she would have felt safer if only he had said it in a different way and situation. She dismissed the thought quickly as it had appeared in her mind. "How about your favor being evil?" She questioned him.

"No arguments for that." He said sheepishly then smirked. "It _is_ evil."

"See?" She clung desperately to her last hope.

"But at least it's only one out of four!" Inuyasha tried to pry her loose from her last hope.

"Am I supposed to be glad with that?" She looked at him with suspicious eyes.

'_Just fucking agree with me!' _Inuyasha was more than frustrated. How hard was it for her to say that she would agree with his deal?.! "You're supposed to agree." He told her the obvious result he wanted from this talk.

She cocked an arched eyebrow, smiling challengingly at him. "If I don't?"

'_The hell!_ _Just try saying no and you'll see!' _He was itching to say but luckily he was able to control himself so it came out as, "I don't think you have much choice left. It's my word against yours. I already said that we are together. If you're willing to spend time—and I mean lots of time—just to convince the whole school that you're not my girlfriend. Go ahead. I'm not going to stop you from making yourself suffer even worse." He could see that she was now tempted to make an agreement. "Also, I still need to think of something to settle your debt to me. Believe me, it _will_ be more dreadful." He knew there was no escape for her now.

Kagome knew Inuyasha would surely see to it that she would be left with no other choice but to concede. She gave a sigh in surrender and said, "Why do you want to make me suffer?"

'_Finally!'_ He cried out in exhaustion. "I'm doing _both of us_ a favor here." He said in an attempt to console Kagome's mind. "It's not like I'm _dying_ to be your boyfriend!" He added to make sure she knew that he only meant business with this arrangement.

Kagome fell silent for a while, mulling things over. Maybe it was for the better? '_I just hope I don't regret this sooner or later.' _She thought, looking up at Inuyasha and smiling a little at him. "As long as you don't call me 'baby'. I felt like throwing up when you did that." She made a face of disgust as she said that.

"Keh!" Inuyasha sneered, not believing Kagome's words. "I bet you loved it, wench."

Kagome's eyes narrowed at Inuyasha as she spoke bluntly, "Seriously, what kind of boyfriend are you, calling your girlfriend 'wench'?.!"

"It's a term of endearment." He told her with a smirk on his lips.

"How very unusual." She replied dryly, not bothering to look touched by Inuyasha's comment.

"I want to be unique." He turned his back to her and walked towards the nearby counter to get his bag.

"Not to mention an annoying jerk too." She commented, following him to collect her own stuff. '_And he's going to be my boyfriend now—well, not true but people will now think of it that way.' _She thought, finding herself staring at Inuyasha as he fixed something inside his bag.

"You talk too much." Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he placed one of his hands inside his pocket and looked back at Kagome. To his surprise, she was looking at him but she quickly shifted her gaze when his eyes were about to meet hers. '_What's wrong with her?' _He decided not to make any comment about it this time so he pretended that he didn't notice her. "Let's go home." He said instead, walking past her.

"Mom must be worried about us," said Kagome as they headed for the exit.

"Your fault," returned Inuyasha coolly. "If you agreed immediately, we wouldn't have stayed long here." His eyes caught sight of the two girls giggling a while ago and wondered why they were approaching them. At first he thought that they were going to attack so he readied himself to pull his gun from the back of his pants but he thought different when he saw something in their hands.

Cell phones with cameras.

"You can't expe—" Kagome was cut when the two said girls blocked their way. "Do you need anything?" She offered, looking bemused at them.

"You go tell him!" The one with wavy brown hair said, nudging her smaller companion lightly.

"But I thought you were going to tell him!" The other one blushed furiously.

"No," said the girl with the wavy brown hair. "You tell him!"

The other girl glowered at her friend but gave in, looking timidly at Inuyasha. "Can—well… um, you see…" She couldn't complete her sentence as she felt her heart beating wildly inside her chest. She wanted to shout, 'He's looking at me!.!.! He's so hot!.!.!' She swallowed and blurted out, "Can we take a picture with you?.!"

'_What the hell…?' _Inuyasha thought, staring at the girl in front of him and then at her companion. His face went completely blank from the shock.

Kagome had the same expression on Inuyasha's face although her eyes had gone wide in the sudden proposition. '_Just what exactly do they see in him?.!.?' _She asked in aggravation. She turned to look at Inuyasha to see how he would handle the situation. '_I just hope he doesn't give them Nazuna's contact number so they can become part of ITOFC. Oh wait, ITOFC is al—' _She stopped when an arm wrapped around her and pulled her sideways to Inuyasha.

"Can't," said Inuyasha with a cool smile, making his two admirers swoon. "Girlfriend gets jealous easily." He pertained to Kagome, squeezing the miko's upper arm gently with his hand. He could feel Kagome bristling against his arm but he ignored it. "Right, Kagome?" He added, signaling her to participate.

Kagome's eyes immediately darkened when she felt Inuyasha's hand on her arm. She had to exert so much effort just to smile pleasantly and say with fake sweetness, "Right." She smiled at Inuyasha, feigning affection, and took his offending hand carefully so the two wouldn't notice.

"I thought you weren't her boyfriend," said the smaller girl, looking at Kagome with distrust. "You were saying so a while ago." She even added.

'_We're caught!' _thought Kagome, looking at Inuyasha for some help. "Well, you see…" She began, still not having any idea what she would tell them.

"We had a quarrel." Inuyasha filled in for her, placing his hand—this time—on her waist. "But now it's over and we're okay again." He quickly added to cover Kagome's small gasp of surprise when he touched her waist.

Kagome gnashed her teeth hard inside her mouth to prevent herself from shouting at Inuyasha. '_Why does he always have to startle me like that?.!' _She grumbled inwardly, smiling awkwardly when the two girls looked at her for confirmation. "Yeah, that's it." She forced out, maintaining the smile she was having a hard time to keep. She turned her head towards Inuyasha and said quietly with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "Can we go home _now_?"

He also thought going home was a very good idea that moment so being the man he took responsibility of dismissing the two girls. Meaning they weren't dismissed very nicely. "You two, we're leaving. Move out of our way or you'll both regret it dearly. " That was Inuyasha's parting words to them.

The girls eagerly did Inuyasha's bidding and stepped aside, whispering to each other dreamily.

"Isn't he so sweet? So protective of his girlfriend!"

"How I wish I'd have a boyfriend like him…"

'_Sweet?.!' _Kagome thought outrageously, letting Inuyasha usher her towards the exit. '_He was downright mean to you! Just what are these two thinking...' _She believed they had serious problems in their heads. When they were finally out of the two girls' sight, she pinched Inuyasha's hand that was still resting comfortably on her waist and dropped it at his side. "What was that all about?.!" She demanded, all sweetness stripped off to show her irritation.

"Ouch! Bitch, what the hell was that for?.!" Inuyasha retorted, matching her irate mood very well.

"Before we go on with this agreement, I just want to clear one thing with you." She pointed out, glad that there was nobody around to eavesdrop on their conversation. The street was completely deserted much to Kagome's wonder.

"What?"

"Just because we're acting like we're together that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want to me!" Kagome stated resolutely. "That means no physical contact whatsoever!"

"Keh! I'm not even planning to try it!" Inuyasha snorted, crossing his arms over his chest with arrogance hanging around him.

"You were about to kiss me a while ago!" She accused. "Also, you suddenly seem to love to touch me."

"That was just for show." He defended himself, scowling.

"Show or not, just don't do it!"

"Oh, I don't know…" A sudden smile spread across his lips, eyes looking different—in a bad way. "Some people are hard to convince that they need _visual_ proofs." He went on, watching Kagome closely.

"We are _not_ giving them visual proofs!" She said firmly, looking unbothered by Inuyasha's suggestive smile.

"Why not?" He asked, looking oh-so-innocent with his soft golden eyes on Kagome. "You looked like you really wanted to be kissed a while ago." But the smirk always gave him away.

"I do not!" Her eyes looked at Inuyasha defiantly, willing to defend her stand.

"You even closed your eyes." Inuyasha tucked his hands inside his side pockets and stepped closer to her, invading her personal space. He could see panic starting to rise in her brown orbs.

"That was because I can't stand seeing your face, moron!" Kagome resisted the great urge to step back. She wasn't going to let Inuyasha scare her just like that.

"Really?" Another step closer then he inched his face closer to hers, seeing the way her eyes sparkled with mixed emotions of anger, fear and panic clearly now. His smile only seemed to widen even more at her reaction.

"Inuyasha, you're not supposed to do this..." Kagome's alarm was going berserk. She didn't fight it anymore and backed away slowly.

"Why not?" questioned Inuyasha with high interest as he inched nearer. "We could use some practice."

"P-practice?" She wasn't able to stop herself from stammering, a faint pink staining her cheeks.

"Yes, practice." He said in a low voice, eyes looking predatorily at Kagome. "We do want this to look real, don't we?"

They were very very close now. Kagome's mind was screaming 'Run! Hit him! Scream!' over and over again but she had another idea in her head to get even with Inuyasha. After all, she believed that the hanyou wasn't really serious but plainly fooling around. Clinging to that belief, she also leaned forward and said in a whisper, "Of course we do." She smirked a little when Inuyasha instantly took a step back, looking surprised at her. "Cold feet?" She asked curiously.

'_She's just playing. She'll chicken out soon,' _thought Inuyasha, looking into the young schoolgirl's eyes. "Nah," He moved closer again, replacing his smirk as he loomed over Kagome. It was pretty easy since he was basically taller than the miko. "Just a bit surprised."

"Good." She forced to maintain her own smirk as Inuyasha's face leaned some more. She could almost feel his warm breath fanning her face and her heart was thumping very loudly in their hushed environment. Her mind was screeching in full volume now.

Inuyasha could see the turmoil running in Kagome's head through her eyes. He could see the desire she was trying so much to control—desire to push him away, that was.

"Aren't you planning to back out?" Kagome asked in a small voice, eyes connected with Inuyasha's.

"No." He looked seriously into her eyes.

"You sure?" Kagome's panic increased at Inuyasha's answer. "_We_ are about to _kiss_." Maybe he didn't know what they were about to do.

"So?" He enjoyed stirring Kagome's emotions some more.

"You pervert!" She cried out, pushing Inuyasha with all her might and placing at least two feet distance between them. She glared at Inuyasha, breathing heavily like she had been released from being suffocated. "Don't come near me!"

Inuyasha allowed her to push him away while asking, "Where the hell did that come from?.!" He gladly returned all of the angry stares his charge was throwing at him.

"I'm going to report you for harassment!" Kagome said crossly, turning around and walking away from him.

"Hey, you were a willing partner!" Inuyasha shot back, going after her. '_How dare she act like she didn't play with me too!' _

Kagome spun around quickly to face Inuyasha again. "Forget it! I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore!" She retorted then walked away once more.

"What the hell?.!" growled Inuyasha, walking faster to catch his charge. "Bitch, stop right there!" He ordered her.

Kagome ignored his command. "I don't want to!" She increased her pace to put more distance between them then started running.

"Stop running!" He also ran, cursing annoying schoolgirls who were always hard to understand.

"I'm not listening!"

"You better start listening or you're dead!" Inuyasha threatened, looking furiously at the girl running in front of him. He wanted to spring at her but he knew he'd just make her angrier if he did that.

"La la la la la…" Kagome began singing an unknown tune that she had made up to drown Inuyasha's voice.

"Bitch, I said STOP!" He was now running beside her so he grabbed her wrist to force her to halt.

"La la la—Hey!" Kagome tried to pull away from Inuyasha's grasp but he only tightened it even more. It was almost painful that she winced.

"If I say stop, you stop. Got that?.!" He said in irritation, still not releasing her wrist in case she decided to run off again to tick him off all the more. "It's dangerous! What if Hell's Gate was lurking around here somewhere?.!" He sighed then loosened his grip although not completely loose for Kagome to escape when he saw pain on Kagome's face. "Come on." He started walking again, pulling Kagome lightly behind him.

They walked silently for a few minutes. Inuyasha still had his hand safely clasped around Kagome's wrist. Kagome didn't seem to mind anymore but she was extremely quiet, making Inuyasha tense. "So…" He glanced sideways to find Kagome staring straight ahead. "About the arrangeme—"

"It's off."

Only two words but it was enough. Inuyasha knew he had pissed her off tremendously—again. He let the silence remain between them.

x

"You know what? I can't believe him! He just told Nazuna and those girls that I'm his girlfriend!" Kagome strode across her room in her light blue pajamas while she continued to let her anger out, not minding that she only had her cat as her audience. Buyo looked at Kagome silently with his wide funny eyes. "He's so reckless! Not to mention he's got a lot of nerve too! As if I'd agree to be his girlfriend! He thinks that all girls are dying to be his girlfriend! He's annoying, aggressive, rude, selfish, insensitive—what do you want?.!" She quickly looked at her door's direction and found Inuyasha standing before her, wearing some loose jeans and a red shirt. '_Red looks good on—wait! I'm mad at him!' _She thought, not letting herself forget that he was manipulating her to do his will.

"I want to ask you one question." Inuyasha walked closer to her, looking composed and cool. He must pull this off.

"I'm busy." Kagome said coldly, turning her back to him. Buyo stood from his position and sauntered towards Inuyasha's feet. "Buyo, get back here!" She whispered to her cat, feeling betrayed that her own pet was siding with Inuyasha and not with her.

'_Busy talking to your cat?'_ Inuyasha wanted to say, bending one knee to pet the cat's head. The chubby cat purred in delight at the hanyou's gentleness. "I'll leave after you answer me." He said, turning his attention back to Kagome.

"Since you leave me no choice," said Kagome with a sigh. '_Like always.'_ She walked slowly towards her chair and sat down, facing Inuyasha with her frosty eyes. "Go ahead."

'_Interesting eyes.'_ He commented, almost wanting to start vexing her again. He got to his feet and met her icy eyes with his—but his eyes didn't return the coldness, only will to have an answer. "Why won't you agree with our deal? Give me one reason." He asked straightforwardly.

Kagome could have given him more than one—even more than ten reasons. She didn't know Inuyasha's scheme this time but she decided to go along with him. "Because I don't want to _act_ as your girlfriend." She said almost calmly, changing the words she had used last time.

"**Forget it! I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore!"**

"Why?" asked Inuyasha again, his eyes not changing their expression.

"I thought you only have one question."

"Why?" Inuyasha repeated his question, ignoring Kagome as if she hadn't spoken.

Kagome sighed in surrender. Inuyasha was not the type to give up so easily. "Because it's hard to cope with you. What more if we pretend to be _close_?" That was the true reason she didn't want to agree with Inuyasha's deal. She didn't want to pretend in order to reach Inuyasha. If she and Inuyasha were going to be friends, she wanted it to be from their hearts—not because they were forced to be close.

It was time. He began to take his first step. "Keh! I think that's not it." He scoffed, watching Kagome's eyes spark once again with irritation.

"What?.!" She exclaimed, standing from her seat and clenching her hands on her sides. "Then tell me, what do you think is it huh?" She demanded hotly, glaring at Inuyasha and hoping he would leave soon.

Inuyasha smirked as if to say, 'I know your secret.' He took one step closer but nothing more, still holding Kagome's gaze with his eyes. "You're _afraid_ of being close to me."

"Afraid?" Kagome repeated uncertainly, wanting so much to laugh at the word Inuyasha had used. "And why would I be afraid of that?" There was a hint of amusement in her voice when she asked her question.

He knew that this was ridiculous but he had to make her agree—one way or another. "Being close to me might cause something you really don't want to happen." He stated it like he could predict Kagome's every action.

"Which is?" She raised one eyebrow, waiting for Inuyasha's answer.

"Falling in love with me." Inuyasha knew this would surely get Kagome's attention.

"Me?" She pointed a finger to herself, making sure she heard Inuyasha right. "In love with you?" She stared at him incredulously, waiting for him to laugh and say, 'Hah! It's a joke!' But it didn't happen. Inuyasha didn't say anything else. "Oh yeah, that will mean I'm out of my mind. That's so impossible!" She said firmly.

'_Got you!'_ He looked at her with his amber eyes, silently challenging her. "Prove it then." He said casually, preparing himself for the long convincing he had to do ahead.

'_Why won't he just drop this topic?' _Kagome thought in exasperation. "You're just doing this to get me to agree!" She accused, seeing through Inuyasha's plan. "I won't do it. No way! Get out!" She pointed to the exit while glowering at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha didn't move from his place. He wasn't going to stop until he had her consent. "So you admit that you're scared." The way he had said it, he was sure Kagome would think that he was mocking her. He intended it that way to fuel Kagome's anger even more, knowing that strong emotions caused her to think less and act on instinct.

Kagome clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to control her temper. How come Inuyasha could always make her angry in just a few minutes? "No," She said evenly with a frown. "I simply said I won't do it."

"Scared because you _will_ fall for me—eventually." He said smugly, paying no attention to her words or her evident disapproval.

"No, I will _not _fall for you—ever." Kagome disagreed, refraining from shouting at Inuyasha. It would only give her a sore throat if she did. Inuyasha never listened to her anyway. Like what he was doing right now.

"Then why are you scared to prove me wrong?" His eyes continued to sneer at her silently, a smirk creeping on his lips.

Again, her emotions took over. Before she could stop herself, she had shouted already. "Because I'm not here to do your every bidding!" Kagome swore she had heard that somewhere, she just couldn't remember who said it.

"I'm not telling you to do my every bidding! I just want you to do one thing for both of us and agree." Inuyasha argued back, smiling victoriously in his mind as Kagome's control slipped.

'_This is getting me nowhere!' _She thought furiously. "Fine!" She snapped at Inuyasha, giving him the answer he wanted to hear.

"Fine?" Inuyasha pretended to look uncertain although he had heard her well.

"Fine, I'll agree to your beloved deal!"

"Finally!" Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief. "Now I'll leave you to yourself, we go to sleep and tomorrow, we face the music!" He grinned boyishly, heading to the door to give Kagome her wanted peace.

"Inuyasha?" She was mad at him because he was forcing her to do some things she didn't want to do but that didn't mean that she wasn't grateful to him. She knew Inuyasha had some kindness in him, he showed it to her from time to time. '_I don't care what his real motives are for making them say sorry, there's still a slight chance that he actually did it for me.' _

"Hm?" Inuyasha stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Thank you." She smiled a little, playing with her fingers absentmindedly.

Inuyasha didn't bother to hide his surprise. He turned around to face her and asked, "For what?" Kagome never stopped astonishing him. One moment she was throwing fiery looks at him and the next she was thanking him?

Kagome smiled more freely after seeing Inuyasha's dumbfounded face. "For the times you weren't being a jerk at Sougeki's." She answered.

"Keh!" Inuyasha looked away from her, not understanding the way his heart was acting. He felt better hearing Kagome saying thank you than her saying that she agreed with his proposition.

"I appreciate it." She meant those words. The doubt she had felt before was now forgotten. There were plenty of possibilities and Kagome chose to believe that Inuyasha did it for her.

That certain feeling in his heart seemed to increase when Kagome said those words. Confusion filled him but he hid it from Kagome by teasing her again. "That's too soon, don't you think?" He gave her a smirk, acting arrogant to mask his true feelings.

"Too soon?"

"You're already in love with me." He said it with certainty in his voice.

"I said thank you _not_ I love you." She said, clearing her words to him.

"Prove me wrong tomorrow then." He walked towards the door and opened it.

"You bet I will." Kagome had a smirk on her own lips saying that she was ready to take Inuyasha's dare.

Inuyasha looked back once more and said to Kagome with a small smile, "You can continue insulting _your boyfriend_ now." The door closed softly behind him.

"Wait, you mean—he was listening." She concluded, going to her bed. She pulled the warm blanket up to her neck and smiled to herself. "Sometimes he's just so…" Her words died into a yawn as she felt her eyes slowly drooping close. "Cute..."

x

It was dead quiet. Kagome was sure that the room was not this silent when the two of them were still standing in front of the door. It had gone quiet the moment she slid the door open. Everyone's eyes were on them. '_Relax… You can do this!' _She ignored their silent questioning eyes and entered the room, Inuyasha walking behind her.

She reached her seat with no problem but that was just the beginning. Once she was seated, her four friends immediately crowded around her to demand some answers.

"You're really together! I knew it!" Yuka exclaimed gladly, smiling widely at Kagome. "When did you two get together?.!" She looked very thrilled like she had just won a spectacular prize from the lottery and she was asking when she could possibly get her prize.

"Just recently…" She heard herself say, wanting to change it into 'Actually, last night to be exact.'

"That's so wonderful, Kagome!" Ayumi looked just as happy as Yuka.

"I think so too." She said, imitating their happy faces. '_Do not.'_

"But how come you didn't tell us earlier?" Sango asked, looking at the subject in a new angle.

"We kept on asking you!" Eri agreed with Sango, wanting to know more details on how it came to be.

"I'm sorry. It's just that…" What was she going to say? '_I can't say I learned it yesterday myself so I didn't have any chance to tell them.' _

"I told her not to tell anybody about us." Inuyasha talked out of nowhere, catching Kagome's friends' attention.

Kagome looked back at Inuyasha, smiling gratefully at him for saving her. "Yeah, that's it." She turned back to her friends to confirm Inuyasha's words and added, "Sorry…"

Her friends assured her that they understood but Kagome was barely listening when she caught Miroku and Inuyasha's conversation from behind her.

"So you're really together now?" Miroku asked, sounding very interested with the sudden turn of events.

"Keh! You know the reason why I did this!" Inuyasha said defensively.

"How about Kikyou?"

'_Kikyou…? Inuyasha's boss?' _Kagome thought, not understanding the connection Inuyasha had with Kikyou. '_What does she have to do with this?'_

"Shut up!" Inuyasha barked, looking away from Miroku and towards the window. '_She knows my true feelings, that's enough.' _He thought, eagerness for tomorrow coming back to him at the mention of Kikyou.

"Kagome, they need you for a meeting with the Student Council." A girl standing by the door said.

"Okay." Kagome stood up to follow the girl.

Inuyasha hurriedly got to his feet and said, "I'll go with you."

"Really, there's no need—"

"You know I'm coming whether you like it or not." He interrupted stubbornly.

"They won't allow you inside." She reasoned out to Inuyasha.

"I know," said Inuyasha, scowling at her. "I'm going to wait outside, wench." He didn't wait for Kagome anymore and walked towards the exit.

"Fine!" Kagome said, looking pissed off but following him. "And stop calling me 'wench'!" She added, complaining about annoying hanyous who loved to call her names except for her own name.

"Whatever." Inuyasha muttered, dismissing Kagome's protests.

"They're just so cute together!" Ayumi sighed, watching the pair leave the room.

x

After the meeting, Kagome stood in front of the classroom to catch her classmates' attention. As the class president, she had the responsibility to inform her classmates of the coming event in their school. "As you all know, we're having our culture festival on Monday. Classes have been cancelled today to give way for the preparations." She announced to be followed by the loud cheers of her classmates.

"Yay! We'll put up a booth again!"

"This is so exciting! I can't wait for Monday anymore!"

"We did an auction booth last time! That was fun! Let's do that again!"

"Won't that be boring? We're doing the same thing again!"

"How about we change what we're auctioning? We auctioned pieces of jewelry and other collection stuff last time. How about we auction electronic gadgets this time like mp3 players and cell phones? I want to have a new cell phone!"

"How about human auction this time?"

"Yeah, let's auction Inuyasha! I'm sure lots of girls will bid for a date with him!"

The room was full of the girls' squeals of excitement.

"It's impossible. Kagome will not agree…" Chisa said when the screams had died. All girls turned to Kagome as if begging her to let them have a piece of Inuyasha even just for a day.

Inuyasha glared at them in horror. He was not meat for bargain! "Even if she agrees, I won't fucking agree! Auction someone else 'cause I'm not interested!" He objected, folding his arms petulantly and looking away from all of them. He hated school activities like this more than sitting and listening to boring teachers. '_I think History will be much better than this crap.' _

"Kagome, what do we do?" Someone asked, looking at Kagome for her decision.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha for a while and sighed. Inuyasha was rude once again but she had to admit that he had a point. "I think that the idea of human auction is great but it is unfair to Inuyasha if we force him." She said, hoping they wouldn't think that she was siding with Inuyasha just because he was her 'boyfriend'.

"How cute! She's so concerned about Inuyasha!" Eri chimed in delight.

Just as Kagome thought.

"Well… with that aside, I'm saying that we can't just pinpoint someone to sell." She said, trying to let them see her point. "To be fair, I think it's only right that everyone has a chance to be auctioned. I suggest that we have a sort of raffle. We put our names in a box and the one who gets drawn out will be auctioned. How does that sound?" She looked around to see their reaction.

"We agree!"

"Great!" Kagome beamed, clapping her hands together joyfully. "Let's begin putting up the booth then!" She headed for the door to start the setting up of the booth downstairs.

Inuyasha scowled as he followed Kagome outside. "Keh, just why do we have to put up a booth? I'd rather go to sleep." He groused, making sure Kagome didn't go out of his sight.

x

It was a nice Saturday morning. Before leaving to go to Kikyou's place, Inuyasha told Kagome's mother that Kagome was going to meet with Kikyou and have miko lessons and that she would be back on Sunday afternoon. He smiled secretly at the thought that he would be seeing Kikyou that day.

"So we're going to the secret base of Solferis today?" Kagome asked, a little excited that she was going to enter a secret organization's base. It was her childhood dream to be able to enter a secret base—with secret passages, passwords and awesome security gadgets. She looked around the place and was sure that it was not a secret base in disguise. They were standing in front of a mechanic shop.

"Kikyou wants to see you." Inuyasha informed her, walking towards the counter where a young man stood. "I already told you about that, didn't I?"

'_I'm going to see Kikyou now.'_ Kagome thought, wondering what the leader of Solferis was like. She followed Inuyasha, looking around the mechanic shop. There were two cars inside—one was black while the other was dark blue—and a small red van. "Then what are we doing here?" She asked, looking at Inuyasha for an answer.

"Getting something." He said simply, leaning on the counter.

"Hey, Inuyasha! I thought you'll never come to pick it up!" The young man greeted, smiling at the hanyou. His eyes strayed to Inuyasha's companion, eyes lingering at Kagome's exposed legs. Kagome didn't seem to notice because she was busy looking at the different vehicles inside the shop.

However, Inuyasha noticed. He quickly stepped sideways to cover Kagome from the man's line of view. "I've been busy, Kaji." He growled out the man's name threateningly while trying to remain cool. He should have told Kagome to wear pants and not a skirt.

"Dating this chick huh?" Kaji tilted his head to see Kagome again, not noticing the way Inuyasha was staring at him. "How come you always get fine girls? Your name, miss?" He extended his hand for Kagome to take.

Inuyasha scowled at Kaji's flirting and swatted his hand away roughly. "Hands off, Kaji!" He snapped crossly, giving him a 'Try-That-Again-And-You're-Dead' look. "Where is it?" He asked, looking for his silver motorcycle.

Kaji sighed in defeat, backing down. He loved life far too much to waste it just because he wanted a girl's name. "Over there." He pointed to the red van and added, "Behind that van. That's 8000 yen for you."

Inuyasha pulled out his wallet, counted some money and tossed it to Kaji. "Here." He pushed Kagome in front of him and walked behind her so Kaji couldn't stare at her legs anymore. '_Stupid lecher.'_ He cursed in his mind.

"You have a motorcycle?" Kagome asked, looking at Inuyasha with disbelief in her chocolate eyes.

"Yeah, why?" He swung one leg on the motorcycle's seat and tried the engine worth 8000 yen.

"I thought you're rich! You could have bought a car!" Kagome said, examining the motorcycle with her eyes. '_I like it's color though,' _She thought, running her eyes on the cool silver paint that seemed to shimmer as the sunshine touched it.

"It's hard, considering my job. They love putting bombs on agents' properties as small gifts." Inuyasha explained, smiling a little when he saw Kagome's eyes flicker with admiration—for his motorcycle, that is. "This is my third motorbike." He told her with a grin. "First motorcycle was dumped at the junk shop and the last one became ashes."

"Poor you?" She offered uncertainly at the hanyou.

Inuyasha smiled. "Here, wear this." He handed her the hanging helmet he had picked up on the left handle.

Kagome stared at the helmet then into Inuyasha's face. "Wait…" She started, taking a step backwards. "You expect me to ride that thing?" She asked, looking at the motorcycle doubtfully.

"Do you think we'd walk to go there?.!"

"How about a car? Don't you have an organization service car or something?" Kagome suggested hopefully. For sixteen years, she had never sat on a motorcycle's seat and Inuyasha expected her to ride on one. He should have asked her to commit suicide instead—in less bloody ways.

Inuyasha gave a shrug. "They usually send a car but I told them we'll be coming through my motorbike." He offered the helmet again for her to take.

Grudgingly, she grabbed the helmet from Inuyasha and placed it over her head. "Next time, tell them to send a car." She muttered to him, glaring as she hitched both straps of her backpack on her shoulders and rode the motorbike. "We might get into an accident with this one." She said fearfully, holding onto Inuyasha's waist tightly.

"Relax, I'm an excellent driver." Inuyasha looked over his shoulder to assure her then released the break and turned on the accelerator.

Kagome tightened her grip even more. "I think I better call home first to tell Souta to take care of Buyo."

x

"Wow! The sea looks so beautiful!" Kagome gasped appreciatively, looking at her right to view the magnificent blue sea. The blue waters shimmered lovely as the sun made contact with its surface. A lone yacht sailed slowly on the sea.

"Not so scared now, are you?" Inuyasha noticed, grinning at Kagome.

Kagome smiled back and said, "I got to admit, you're a good rider."

"Keh, I'm not _just _good!" Inuyasha scoffed but he didn't really mind the small compliment she gave. It was still a compliment to him.

Kagome followed the waves with her eyes as it crashed into the white sand, missing the feeling of standing on the fine sand and waiting for the water to wash your feet. A big white house stood near the cliff that overlooked the sea. "Is that the house?" She asked Inuyasha, admiring the house from afar.

"Yeah." Inuyasha said, increasing his speed. He couldn't wait any longer.

Kagome found out that she loved riding motorcycles.

x

"Where's Kikyou?" Inuyasha asked the maid when the door opened.

"Miss Kikyou is inside her office, waiting for both of you." The maid said, letting them enter the house.

Kagome walked inside the mansion with awe in her eyes. "Kikyou's so rich—more than you." She told Inuyasha, looking at the various paintings and ornaments that enhanced the aisle's beauty. "Nice mansion…" She liked the way the house made her feel. It wasn't like other mansions that were big but hollow and lifeless even with its decorations. Kikyou's mansion made her feel welcome and it was bright since sunshine could freely enter through its huge windows. But then, she wondered where the Solferis base was inside this mansion.

"She has her own jewelry and accessory company." Inuyasha told her, turning left and then right. He knew his way around this place very well since he had spent years inside this house. He could see the door of Kikyou's office by now.

"Wow… She must be really great." Kagome said, getting more curious about Kikyou's identity. She could almost imagine her in business clothes. A tall, lean woman in her early thirties, looking quite respectable but gentle. "What does she look like?" She asked eagerly, wanting to see if she imagined Kikyou correctly.

'_Like you.' _He almost said, wanting to see Kagome's reaction. He stopped in front of a door and looked back at Kagome with a smirk. "You'll see." He raised his hand and knocked softly on the wood's surface.

"So you do know how to knock…" Kagome looked shocked as Inuyasha lowered his hand to his side.

"Keh!" He sneered and grabbed the knob to turn it. After pushing the door open, Inuyasha smiled at the young lady sitting behind the desk. "Kikyou, I've brought her."

Kagome entered after Inuyasha, wearing her most amiable smile. But the face she saw made her smile disappear and a gasp replaced it. "You're… Kikyou?" She blinked her eyes several times but the woman's face remained the same. Her hair was also black but hers was longer than Kagome's and straighter. Brown chocolate eyes were like hers. Same thin lips. Same shape of face. '_She looks just like me! It's like looking into a mirror and seeing a more sophisticated me.' _She thought, not believing the strong similarity she had with the Solferis leader.

"We look pretty much alike, don't you think Kagome?" She greeted, a polite smile gracing her lips. "It's quite fascinating. We look alike yet we're not blood relatives. Please take a seat." She gestured to the elegant mahogany chairs in front of her desk.

"Yes, the resemblance is weird." Kagome agreed, managing to smile as she walked slowly towards Kikyou. "I never thought that you were this young too." She looked at Kikyou even more closely. Her eyes even though they had the same color held something different that Kagome did not have. The only thing that Kagome got right in the Kikyou she imagined was that she was wearing a business suit. Her white business suit was very elegant but she remained to look simple despite the elegance of her outfit. Kagome couldn't find a trace of make-up on Kikyou's face and although she was an owner of a jewelry company, she only had one piece of jewelry attached to her. It was a golden necklace with a rectangular wine red crystal stone as its pendant. The necklace caught Kagome's attention immediately because it stood out from Kikyou's white clothes.

"Yes, all of the mikos who get to see me are surprised that the leader of Solferis is only eighteen. I don't blame you for being one—Inuyasha, where are you going?" Kikyou's attention went to Inuyasha when the hanyou opened the door all of a sudden.

"Obviously, I'm off to find Myouga. The old man said he's around here somewhere and wants to see me." Inuyasha told her, smirking at her before he turned his back at her. '_I don't want seeing them together. Their resemblance is giving me the creeps.' _He said as he stepped out of Kikyou's office. Before he closed the door, he turned around again to face Kikyou, feeling dizzy when he found himself looking at two Kikyous. "Maybe I'll just see you later to talk?" He asked hopefully, his eyes trained on the Kikyou that was seated behind the desk. He really wished he could have some time with her—alone.

Kikyou looked at Inuyasha quietly, not giving any hint of emotion in her eyes. "Maybe." She finally answered.

"Later then." And Inuyasha was gone.

Kagome sighed, feeling a little depressed suddenly. She wasn't sure of the reason but she felt it exactly the moment Inuyasha's eyes ignored her completely—like she wasn't even there. Kagome was snapped out of her thoughts when Kikyou asked her a question.

"So how's Inuyasha as your protector?"

Kagome wondered how she would answer Kikyou's question. She didn't want to lie so she answered her truthfully. "He protects me very well." She tried to put a smile as she said those words.

Kikyou could feel that Kagome wasn't telling her something but she respected her decision. She stood up and motioned for Kagome to stand as well. "Come, I want you to meet Kaede. She will be your teacher when you take your miko lessons."

"Miss Kikyou?" Kagome said hesitantly as she stood up.

"Call me Kikyou like the others do." Kikyou offered, looking at Kagome pensively. '_She looks so ordinary but I wonder what powers lie on her.'_

Kagome smiled and relaxed at Kikyou's kindness towards her. "I just want to say thank you for the protection you've given to me." She said gratefully. "Mikos all around the world are lucky to have someone like you to protect them, Kikyou."

"I only want to help." Kikyou nodded, acknowledging her thanks. She walked towards the door to be followed by Kagome.

"So about my lessons…" Kagome started while walking on another long corridor. She would really like it if someone gave her a tour around this spectacular mansion. "Is it hard to learn how to control miko powers?"

"I'm not the one you should ask." Kikyou told her, putting her hands together in a refined manner as she continued her pacing. "But I guess if you concentrate on your lessons, you'll learn in no time." She said in efforts to reassure her.

Kagome admired the way Kikyou walked. '_She carries herself so well,' _thought Kagome, looking at the way Kikyou's feet moved like she was floating. She looked at her own feet but knew that she would never be as graceful as the woman walking in front of her. She decided not to try anymore. "So I'll learn how to purify soon?" She asked to follow up their conversation, a hint of excitement was found in her voice.

"If you train well and practice often." Kikyou replied kindly.

"I can't wait to practice!" Kagome said honestly, picturing her perfect practice target on her mind. "Do you think it's okay if I practice purifying hanyous first rather than youkais?"

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Reviews help me. Even an 'I endured reading your long fanfic' is enough to uplift my spirits. Be kind and leave me a line or two. (See? I'm not asking for a paragraph now… Just a couple of lines…) And look! I got a new summary for The Shadow! Do you think that's better or should I put the old one back? (You can add that in your review. Hint hint hint!) Last thing, 2006 is a year of the dog! Go Inuyasha-chan!.!.!

Shameless plug starts here: I've got a new one-shot! Just can't stop doing non-AU Inuyasha/Kagome moments so please read **Lost Pendant**. It's about the necklace Kagome gave Inuyasha a long time ago.


	8. Her Unrecognized Jealousy

A/N: Well, I just have to say Inuyasha is soooo obsessed with Kikyou (and it's starting to annoy me)! Kagome, do something! To compensate for last chapter's little Inu/Kag fluff, here you go! Inu/Kag fluffy bits. Yeah, _bits_. Squint your eyes to see them! Lol! Just kidding. But really, it's no major fluff but still… (Okay, I'm rambling…)

Thanks to my sister for tolerating me whenever I force her to stay up late just to listen to my ramblings about The Shadow… Ayame-chan, thank you so much!

x

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. As of now.

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 8

_**Her Unrecognized Jealousy**_

x

x

x

x

x

**Inuyasha was waiting silently. For what, he didn't know so he sat on a random chair, looking at his adult relatives and his father's business comrades as they talked in loud voices—apparently they didn't care who would overhear their conversations. Even without his sensitive hanyou ears, he would have heard their words. They were talking about him and Sesshoumaru, his elder brother. **

"**Poor kids.** **They lost their mothers and now they have lost their father as well." A man in his late thirties said, sparing a quick sympathetic look at Inuyasha's direction.**

**Inuyasha bowed his head to avoid their eyes. He could feel that some of them were staring at him and giving him those looks he hated a lot. It wasn't filled with sympathy—though he was also ticked by that kind of look given to him. It was more like a look of disgust, telling him that they didn't want his presence. Most of his relatives treated him that way—especially when his father wasn't around to protect him. **

"**Mothers?** **You mean Mr. Tsuzuki remarried?" **

**A regretful sigh was heard then Inuyasha's uncle said in a low voice, "Yes." **

**The businessman didn't seem to get the meaning of the sigh and he didn't want to elaborate more on the topic so he changed it. "Mr. Tsuzuki was a very honorable businessman. Yomiuri Company will never be the same without him." He said honestly, speaking good about the late youkai tycoon.**

**However, the conversation was led astray again when another curious inquirer—woman this time—asked, "Who will gain custody of his kids now? Surely Mr. Tsuzuki's relatives will take them?"**

**Inuyasha's attention was caught by this certain question. This was the thing he was waiting for. He crossed his fingers together and silently prayed, '_Please don't let it be Uncle Taika, please… Not him…'_ He didn't like his Uncle Taika very much because of all the relatives he had met, he was the worst. He always beat him up for small things and he loved calling him names. In short, he was a big, bad bully in Inuyasha's point of view. **

"**Sesshoumaru will be staying with me," Inuyasha heard his Uncle Taika say. "I'd make sure he'd be a great man like his father."**

**Inuyasha's heart gave a small sigh of relief when he didn't hear his name. At least Uncle Taika was taking Sesshoumaru and not him. '_Sesshoumaru will be pretty bored with him.' _He thought, smirking mentally at the thought of his brother's misfortune.**

"**And Inuyasha?"**

**Inuyasha stopped his thoughts and waited for someone to speak and claim him. **

**Nobody spoke to break the emerging silence. Inuyasha didn't dare raise his head to look at them. He wouldn't let them see the hurt in his amber eyes. He knew they would only mock him and laugh at him. He was about to get up and walk away when—**

"**I will be the one taking care of him."**

**Inuyasha quickly lifted his head to find a familiar man standing next to him. He was his father's best friend and he was very nice to him whenever they saw each other. Plus he had a cool job too and Inuyasha knew that he had lots of video games at his place.**

**Inuyasha let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding for some time now. Someone was taking care of him. And it was far better than Sesshoumaru's guardian.**

**The ten-year-old Inuyasha grinned at the thought. **

x

Inuyasha opened the door and congratulated himself mentally for spotting his old guardian quickly. "How come you're here when you're supposed to be in Hong Kong?.!" Inuyasha greeted, walking towards Myouga, who was currently sitting on the sofa comfortably and cleaning his sword.

Myouga smiled knowingly at his adopted son and replied calmly, "I'm glad to see you too, Inuyasha."

"Keh!" Inuyasha sat unceremoniously on the chair opposite Myouga's and took the other can of soda on the center table.

Looking contented with his work, Myouga sheathed his weapon and looked at Inuyasha seriously. "Hell's Gate has captured my charge." He said gloomily, his eyes looming with some sort of remorse.

Inuyasha slowly pulled the tab of the soda to open it. He took one long drink then dropped the can on the table. His eyes returned to Myouga as he said off-handedly, "Didn't you track her down?"

Myouga shook his head from side to side slowly. "She was taken here in Japan. We are currently tracking her but still there is no sign of her. Her tracking device must have been taken away from her. The last signal said that she was somewhere in Hiroshima."

Inuyasha didn't say anything anymore. If the tracking device was lost, there was little chance that they could find her—worst, there maybe no chance anymore. Even though Mayuki was his previous charge too, Inuyasha wasn't exactly attached to her. They had only spent two days together after all. '_Because her father thought I was incompetent.'_ He thought, taking another swig from his can. Then a thought struck him out of nowhere. '_What if Kagome was placed in the same situation?' _He thought, knowing pretty well that it wasn't impossible to happen. Hell's Gate had tried to get her before. Before he could ponder some more on that certain thought, Myouga brought him back to reality with a question.

"How's your new charge?"

Coincidentally, Myouga's inquiry was not far from Inuyasha's current thought. Inuyasha grimaced as he was reminded some more of his present charge. "She's such a pain! I have to go to high school because of her." He said sourly, picturing an angry Kagome in his mind. "She loves to shout at me and she always thinks she's so great."

Myouga's eyes seemed to lighten at their new topic. A small smile was starting to appear on his lips. "I heard she looks like Kikyou." He commented innocently, trying to catch Inuyasha off guard.

Inuyasha's lips was already touching the rim of his drink but he quickly lowered it on the table with such force that some of its contents spurted out of the can. "She's nothing like her!" He barked instantly.

That very moment, Myouga thought Inuyasha looked liked a dog trying to defend himself because he was cornered.

x

Kagome cringed her eyes shut as she felt a sudden itch in her nose. She covered her nose quickly and allowed herself to sneeze.

"You have a cold?" Kikyou looked over her shoulder and at Kagome, who was still covering her nose.

"No, someone's just talking about me behind my back." Kagome answered her as they continued to walk along the carpeted corridor, passing by doors that looked all similar. "Probably an ITOFC member…" She said to herself, frowning slightly at the memory of the said fans club.

"ITOFC?" Kikyou asked with interest, catching Kagome's words clearly. She spared another look at Kagome, looking intrigued by the acronym.

"Ah! You heard me then?" Kagome said in surprise, laughing a little. "It's nothing special. It's just Inuyasha's silly fans club in our school." She told her.

'_Inuyasha has a fans club?'_ Kikyou turned to face the front again, smiling softly to herself. "He does attract a lot of people, doesn't he?" She commented, this time not looking at Kagome anymore as she continued to move forward.

Kagome considered the question for a couple of seconds before answering. "Sort of." She muttered, thinking of all the girls lining every morning in front of the campus just to greet Inuyasha when they arrived at school. '_And a lot of trouble too.'_

Kikyou stopped in front of a door that looked very much like the others on its line. "We're here." She announced and turned the knob to open the door.

Kagome held her breath as the door opened. This was it. She was going to see the secret base of Solferis. Or maybe this was just an ordinary room and they still had to move sculptures to reveal hidden doors or enter some kind of code and that kind of stuff.

To her disappointment, it was only a plain, empty room with metal walls. There wasn't even a single painting or sculpture. The only things that could be found inside the room were metal stands and a table filled with glass orbs and other things she guessed would be used for her training lessons. '_Maybe the training for beginners isn't done inside the secret base.' _She thought, looking at the other door besides the one they had used to enter. A part of her wondered where that door would take her. '_Maybe that's the entrance to their secret base?' _She thought, still looking a little hopeful.

"Are you looking for something?" Kikyou asked out of curiosity, watching Kagome carefully as the schoolgirl scanned the room with her eyes.

"Not really, just looking around." Kagome replied kindly, smiling at Kikyou. '_And hoping to see Solferis' secret base!'_

The door Kagome had been looking at a while ago opened to reveal an old woman with long white hair tied in a low ponytail, wearing traditional miko clothes—red hibakama and white haori. A leather eye patch was covering one of her eyes but she didn't look scary to Kagome. The smile that graced the miko's face told Kagome that she was kindhearted and patient to her students. Kagome hoped that she wasn't wrong about her instructor.

"Kaede, this is Kagome. She is quite young so she needs to go under basic training first before the advanced training." Kikyou told the elderly miko instructor then turned to Kagome. "Kagome, this is Kaede. She will be your instructor. I'll be leaving you now." She thought that it was better for Kagome to be alone with Kaede so she could concentrate more on her training. "I guess I'll just see you for lunch?" She said before she headed for the door.

"I would love to," said Kagome with a wide smile. "Thank you for everything, Kikyou." She added.

Kikyou nodded briefly to acknowledge Kagome's thank you then left.

"Let us begin, Kagome?" Kaede offered warmly, leading her towards the table.

Kagome took a deep breath then smiled brightly. She was going to make sure that she would learn how to control her powers soon. "Yes, teacher!" She exclaimed vigorously.

Kaede took a glass globe from the table and held it in front of Kagome. "First of all, your miko energy is housed inside your body. You have the ability to release that energy once you need it. For now, we will practice on releasing that energy to use as a weapon." When she saw Kagome's confusion she added, "It's like you have a gun but the bullets will be your miko energy. Get it?" She looked at the younger miko's face for any hint of confusion.

Kagome thought that by the way her teacher was discussing miko powers to her, it looked pretty simple. But she still didn't know how to do it. "But how will I do that?" She asked uncertainly.

"The key here is having both perfect aim and concentration. Watch me closely." Kaede put the glass ball on top of a metal stand and walked a distance away from it. She raised one hand and looked at the glass globe with concentration. There was a pink light that shot from her hand and towards the glass orb, shattering it into hundreds of small pieces.

'_Just like that time when Inuyasha was in danger.' _Kagome thought as she looked at the tiny pieces of glass on the floor.

"**Inuyasha, look out!" Kagome shouted, going out of her hiding place. A surge of pink light suddenly went towards the balcony, dissolving the arm of a youkai and making him drop his weapon.**

"Let me see you try it," said Kaede, replacing the broken glass ornament with a new one. "I want you to aim your miko power at the glass ball and try to shatter it." She walked a few steps away from the metal stand and nodded to Kagome.

"Okay…" Kagome started, putting some distance between the glass orb and herself. She lifted her hand to level it with her target and looked at her hand. '_Come on, Kagome! Just blast it!' _She thought to herself, smiling a little when her hand began to glow a familiar pink. Before she could direct the light, the beam zoomed not towards her target but towards Kaede.

Kaede quickly erected a barrier to protect herself, making the beam of light bounce off and towards the metal wall. "Kagome, focus!" She said as Kagome rushed towards her.

"Sorry, teacher!.!.!" Kagome quickly apologized to Kaede. "Are you okay?" She added, worry evident on her young face.

"I'm fine." Kaede told her, reassuring her with a small smile. "Let's try that again." She said encouragingly, putting another similar orb on the iron stand. "Never lose your concentration."

Kagome closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. "Okay, focus…" She said to herself, letting the air out little by little. She leveled her hand with her target once again and looked straight at the object she intended to shoot. Another pink light emitted from Kagome's hand and towards the glass orb—causing the glass to shatter.

"I did it!" Kagome jumped in joy at her little achievement.

x

Inuyasha was sitting on the black leather sofa of one of the vacant rooms, his hand lazily flipping through the pages of a sports magazine. When he reached the last page and found nothing interesting he placed the magazine on his side and looked through the huge glass windows that ran throughout the height of the wall just behind his seat.

From the window, there was a clear view of the archery fields. Kikyou was also inclined to archery so she had her own archery fields within her residence. In fact, she was there that very moment, practicing alone in the fields. Inuyasha's eyes fixed on the Solferis leader, watching her silently as she stretched the string of her bow and took her aim. Even from afar, Inuyasha could see precision and determination in the way Kikyou stood and held her bow.

Inuyasha had done this so many times already. He would stay inside the room for hours, waiting for her to come to the archery fields and practice. Whenever Inuyasha saw Kikyou in her archery uniform, he would often think that she looked so much like the traditional mikos back during the early times. Her long black hair was tied back in a low ponytail with a white ribbon, making her face clearer for Inuyasha's view. The hanyou would often remember the day when he had first met Kikyou. He had hated her because she had always smiled at him, acting all fine like life wasn't hard for her.

**Four years after Inuyasha's father had died, Inuyasha had been under Myouga's care. He lived with him in his apartment and also began learning martial arts and weapon handling from his guardian. He insisted in learning the craft because he wanted to be stronger. He didn't want to be weak and bullied by people. No, he would never allow that anymore… **

**Inuyasha entered the room where Myouga had left him before. Myouga had asked him to deliver some papers to the security agency—again, he forgot to bring them. He sat on the usual chair he always took when he waited, paying no attention to the girl seated in front of him. He watched the door impatiently, wanting to go home soon. **

"**Are you waiting for Mr. Yamura?"**

**Inuyasha didn't need to turn his head to know who had spoken. He was alone except for the girl sitting across him. He decided to ignore her attempt to start a conversation and continued to stare at the door. **

**However, the girl didn't seem to be discouraged and tried again. "You must be Inuyasha." She said in her smooth, kind voice.**

**Inuyasha grudgingly looked at her with annoyance, which increased when she smiled brightly at him. "Do you mind? I'm trying to ignore you." He said harshly, not caring if she got mad at him.**

"**I'm sorry if I'm annoying you." She replied with the same tone she used before, not laced with any sarcasm. Her smile was as warm as before, her eyes told Inuyasha that she wasn't used to being treated that way. Yet, she handled herself very well.**

**Her smile was ticking him off. It was like she was telling him that life was so easy for her. He scoffed at her inwardly, telling himself that she was smiling because she never knew any hardships. '_If she were in my position, I bet she would be crying her eyes out.' _**

**The door opened and Myouga entered with a loud greeting to Inuyasha. "You're here!" He exclaimed, beaming happily at him. "I see you've met Kikyou. She's Mr. Hijima's only daughter." Myouga smiled at Kikyou briefly then turned again to Inuyasha. "She's just a year older than you. I think you'll get along quite well!" **

**Inuyasha spared another look at Kikyou to find her looking at him, still hoping to be able to befriend him. He slowly got to his feet, handed the papers to Myouga and said in a bored tone, "I'm going home." He ignored Myouga's calls for him to come back.**

**At the elevator, he wondered what the girl's last reaction was when he had left. A part of him was curious and wanted to come back to see if she got mad or if she just ignored it. '_No wonder she acts so carefree towards everything. Keh! A princess who doesn't know a thing about the true hardships of life...'_**

**He wished he would never meet her again.**

**But he did. Almost every time he went to the security agency to do some errands for Myouga, he would see her. Not only in the waiting room but almost anywhere he waited for Myouga—even when he rode the elevator, she was there! Inuyasha was now thinking that the Hijima girl was stalking him. **

**Kikyou would always smile at him when they met. Inuyasha never returned the smile. Whenever she tried to start a conversation with him, Inuyasha would walk away or ignore her but she didn't seem to give up—ever. **

**That made Inuyasha dislike** **her even more. **

x

Three years ago, Inuyasha had hated the way Kikyou smiled but now he missed those smiles. Kikyou Hijima smiled rarely now. She had changed through the years. The way she dealt with things was different now…

Inuyasha's ears flicked at the soft footsteps he had detected outside the door. He averted his gaze from the archery fields—and from Kikyou—then picked up the magazine he had set aside a while ago, feigning interest in the reading article he held in his hands.

Two more seconds and the door slowly opened, letting Kagome inside the room. Her eyes immediately spotted Inuyasha sitting languidly on the leather couch so she walked towards him with a big grin on her face.

"What are you doing here?" She asked curiously, sitting beside him and relaxing herself. "Wow! This sofa sure is comfortable!" She sighed, leaning back on the cool leather.

"Don't tell me you ditched your miko training just to hang around here!.?" Inuyasha said coldly, his eyes narrowing at her.

"No," said Kagome calmly, still keeping her good mood. "I'm done with training today. Kaede said we'll continue tomorrow morning."

"Keh, I bet you didn't learn anything today!" Inuyasha scoffed at her, throwing the magazine softly and making it land precisely on the table. He also leaned on the sofa, closing his eyes.

"At first it was hard but I got the first lesson. Kaede said that…" Her words died when she found that Inuyasha had his eyes closed, maybe not paying attention to any of her words. "Hey, Inuyasha," She looked at him closer to try and see if he was asleep.

"What?"

"Are you sleepy?"

"No."

"Will you give me a tour around the house?" She asked hopefully, not knowing who else to ask. She didn't want to bother Kikyou anymore because she knew that she was busy.

"Keh!" Inuyasha sneered, opening his golden yellow eyes to look at Kagome. "Why the hell will I want to do that?.!"

"Well, I want to see the house…" She started, knowing that she wasn't going to get her tour now. "I can't ask anyone else—Wow! Archery fields!" She quickly kneeled on the sofa and leaned forward to see the archery fields clearer through the glass windows. "Is that Kikyou down there?" She looked at Inuyasha questioningly.

Inuyasha shrugged, not even glancing at the windows. "Probably." He said uncaringly, standing up to leave. "She's good at archery."

"She's leaving…" Kagome observed, seeing Kikyou disappear from her view. "Hey, where are you going?" She turned to look at Inuyasha and saw him opening the door.

"Some place without you." Inuyasha said vaguely then closed the door behind him.

Kagome quickly followed, walking along the corridor with Inuyasha in front of her. "We're having lunch, I forgot to tell you. I had been looking around the house for you to tell you that." She said nicely, speeding up so she was now walking beside the hanyou.

"Too bad your effort's going to be wasted," said Inuyasha, not really sounding sorry at all. "I'm not hungry." He also increased his pace to leave Kagome behind.

Kagome's good mood evaporated and was replaced by annoyance. "Just why are you so mean to me?.!" Kagome ran after Inuyasha and pulled his long silvery white hair.

"Ouch! Wench, let go of me!" Inuyasha halted instantly, trying to pry Kagome's hands off his hair. Kagome's question suddenly sank into him and he realized that he had been treating Kagome the same way he had treated Kikyou during their first meeting. _'No,' _He thought, vanishing the thought quickly out of his mind. _'That's not true. The instances back then and now are different. THEY are DIFFERENT.' _

"Kagome, Inuyasha, what are you doing here? I thought you were in the dining room by now."

Inuyasha knew that voice perfectly well. He stopped trying to get Kagome's hands off his silver locks, turning his head around to find Kikyou standing before them, still in her archery uniform.

"I didn't know you had archery fields here." Kagome said to Kikyou, not realizing that she still had her hands fisted on Inuyasha's hair.

"I practice from time to time. If you want, you can use the archery fields any time you want to. You also know archery, right?" She offered generously to the younger girl.

"Archery is one of my hobbies," said Kagome in return. "Thank you, Kikyou."

"It's nothing," replied Kikyou then looked at Inuyasha, her eyes looking directly at his eyes. "Will you join us for lunch?"

He could never say no to Kikyou. He never wanted to turn her down. He let out one word to answer her. "Fine." If he wasn't going to be able to talk to her, at least he could see her longer. That was enough reason for him to agree.

Kikyou nodded briefly at Inuyasha's response. "I'll be seeing the two of you in a while then." She excused herself from both of them and walked away with the grace she always carried with her.

Kagome was shocked at the answer Inuyasha gave to Kikyou. Didn't he just tell her that he wasn't hungry? She began to wonder what sort of power Kikyou had that made even a stubborn jerk like Inuyasha bow down to her every beck and call. _'Maybe he's afraid that Kikyou will cut his salary if he disobeys her… She's the boss who's paying Inuyasha after all.' _She thought but something told her that that wasn't the reason behind it. She was curious about the real reason but she was more curious about the dull pain she was feeling in her heart that moment. What did that mean? An answer was trying to surface but she was afraid to hear it out so she ignored it, feeling something silky in her hands. That was the moment she remembered that she was still holding Inuyasha's hair. She released it slowly, letting it fall back into its natural position. She was supposed to murmur an apology but the words that were formed were far from an apology. "I thought you weren't hungry…" Her eyes were trained on the red sandals she wore.

"Keh!" Inuyasha turned away from Kagome so she wouldn't see the faint blush on his cheeks. He was too busy trying to hide his blush that he wasn't able to notice the tone of disappointment in Kagome's voice.

"You're so rude!" Kagome commented, Inuyasha's impoliteness annoying her quickly. "Why not try to be nice to me for a change?.!" She demanded, her eyes now looking at Inuyasha to glare at him. "Like giving me a tour around this house!" She added but knew that it was impossible to convince Inuyasha.

Inuyasha met Kagome's eyes for a moment then turned to head to the dining room. Just as he was turning he muttered to Kagome, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He was in a good mood that moment so why not give in to Kagome? There was no harm in spending two hours or so with her around Kikyou's mansion. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he was already used to be always beside Kagome.

"You agree?" Kagome asked in surprise, not hiding the thrill she was feeling at Inuyasha's small act of sweetness. She forgot her annoyance, her questions and even the dull pain seemed to vanish when Inuyasha agreed to take her around the mansion.

"I'm not agreeing. You're _forcing_ me to agree." Even though Inuyasha agreed, he wasn't going to make it look like he did it out of kindness—he preferred to make it appear like he was still _unwilling _but had no choice left.

Kagome knew Inuyasha was just putting an act so she smiled at him softly. "See?" She said cheerfully, beaming at him. "You can be kind at times!" She grabbed Inuyasha's hand and pulled him gently towards the dining room, feeling very happy.

Inuyasha didn't protest and allowed Kagome to drag him slowly. "If you repeat that again, I think I'm going to change my mind." He told her, looking at the young schoolgirl's back as they walked along the empty corridor.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at Inuyasha. "That was a compliment, stupid!" She couldn't help but grin at the sight of Inuyasha's childish scowl.

"It was like you were insulting me!" Inuyasha reasoned out, meeting Kagome's eyes for a brief moment before looking away from her.

"Poor thing…" She said sympathetically to Inuyasha. "Your compliment sensor is seriously damaged."

"Keh!"

Kagome laughed merrily at Inuyasha's favorite way of ending their conversations as they continued their way to the dining area—their hands linked together comfortably.

x

"What is this dish called?" Kagome asked as she took another slice of meat into her mouth to relish the unique taste once more.

"Mr. Otorima calls it Roasted Rimiya with Oyster Sauce and Mushrooms," said the maid, who was refilling Kagome's glass with orange juice.

"Rimiya?" Kagome repeated uncertainly, looking at Kikyou, who was seated at the head of the table. "What kind of meat is that?" She inquired.

"It is sheep meat." Kikyou answered, dabbing her lips softly with the table napkin.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as he stared at the meat on his plate. "Last time, he called this very dish Roasted Shimiko with Oyster Sauce and Mushrooms." He said while scrutinizing the dish to find the difference. "There's no difference." He finally concluded.

"Mr. Otorima names the animals he cooks." The maid commented out of nowhere, smiling as she went around the table to fill up Kaede's glass.

"Aren't they dead already when they're brought in the kitchen?" Inuyasha mused aloud, looking confused.

"Mr. Otorima is very sentimental when it comes to animals." The maid replied then went off to prepare serving the desserts.

"He names _dead animals _before cooking them?" Inuyasha said slowly, looking at the direction where the maid had gone. "He's nuts. How come you hire someone like him?" He turned to Kikyou, his eyes meeting hers easily as he waited for her answer.

"His cooking is first class." Kikyou answered simply, breaking the eye contact hurriedly but not obviously.

"He's still nuts." Inuyasha shrugged, taking another slice of food into his mouth.

"You call him nuts yet you eat the food he's cooking." Kagome remarked, looking sideways at her right where Inuyasha was sitting.

Kikyou smiled secretly at Kagome's aside, seeing that Inuyasha was easily put out by a teenage schoolgirl like Kagome. She could see that Kagome was a bright girl—strong and brave.

"Well… It's not like I have a choice!" Inuyasha said in a futile attempt to defend himself, glowering sideways at the miko seated at his left.

"You can stop eating." Kagome said briefly in return, definitely not willing to let Inuyasha outwit her.

Kaede chuckled at the two teenagers arguing and said between her laughs, "Give up Inuyasha. Kagome is far better than you." She winked at Kagome using her uncovered eye.

"No, she's not!" Inuyasha protested, growling lowly at the old miko sitting across Kagome.

A smile was gently tugging at the corner of Kagome's mouth but she suppressed it.

"Excuse me, Miss Kikyou." Another maid appeared behind Kikyou, her hand outstretched with a cordless telephone. "You have a telephone call. Urgent business." She added as Kikyou took the phone from her.

"Please excuse me. I think I'll be off now." Kikyou stood up and left the room immediately.

Inuyasha followed Kikyou silently with his eyes until she was gone. The appetite he had was lost and he felt like going home after Kikyou left. Not letting another minute pass by, he stood up abruptly and said all of a sudden, "I'm finished."

"I'm finished too," announced Kagome, preparing to stand up and go with Inuyasha to have a trip around the house.

"I'll be going home now." Inuyasha followed up, not directly looking at Kagome as he spoke.

"Wait—going home?" Kagome stood up instantly and looked at Inuyasha questioningly. _'But aren't you going to escort me to see the whole house?' _She wanted to ask but was only able to stare at him silently.

"Yeah, you don't need me here now." He told Kagome, looking sideways at Kaede, who was watching them wordlessly. "Kikyou's security team is here so you're perfectly safe." He added to reassure her.

"But you told me…" Kagome's words trailed off, realizing that Inuyasha didn't really want to give her the tour. _'He must have been kidding when he agreed to give me a tour around the house. He really didn't want to do it.' _She thought, her heart sinking slowly and painfully down to her stomach.

"I'll be back tomorrow." Inuyasha said then turned his back to leave, not looking back anymore.

"Okay..." Kagome barely heard his words because she was still busy trying to nurse her wounded heart. She didn't even notice Kaede shaking her head in disapproval at Inuyasha's action.

x

"Wait, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha spun around to find Kagome running towards him. "Anything wrong?" He asked when she finally caught up with him.

"Well…" Kagome said hesitantly, not knowing how to tell him exactly. "I think you forgot something." Well, at least she didn't have to tell him directly. _'Maybe he just forgot it accidentally.' _She thought, not believing that Inuyasha purposely wanted to leave her.

"Forgot something?" He said in puzzlement, trying to remember what Kagome was talking about. "Oh yeah!" He said with a gentle smirk on his lips.

Kagome's face lit up like a bright lamp post. _'He remembered!'_ Her heart skipped a beat as she looked expectantly at Inuyasha.

"Tell Kikyou I'll be going if ever she looks for me."

Kagome could feel her heart sinking lower than before, perhaps it was now on the ground. She was even tempted to see if blood was spilled on the floor she was standing on. _'That wasn't the thing I was trying to remind you.' _She wanted to tell him so much but it came out as,"Sure." She even managed to add a small smile but there was nothing happy about her smile.

This time Inuyasha had noticed the sudden change in her expression—from happy to upset—but he ignored it and walked away.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out again, gathering all the courage she could muster to tell him directly. "You don't remember, do you?.!" Her eyes flashed with anger but deep beneath the anger was hurt that she didn't want to show to Inuyasha.

"About what?" He really didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

Kagome's eyes narrowed at Inuyasha's uncaring attitude. _'He doesn't even care!' _She thought, feeling annoyed with the hanyou more and more. "You jerk! You told me you'll give me a tour around the house!"

"I did?" Inuyasha said halfheartedly, his forehead cringing as if trying to remember. _'I did.' _He remembered it now but he didn't really want to spend time with Kagome at Kikyou's house—knowing that he wanted to spend his time with the girl that _looked_ just like Kagome.

Kagome sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping as she exhaled. "Never mind." She muttered, turning around so she wouldn't have to see Inuyasha's irritating face anymore.

"Okay." Inuyasha shrugged and turned on his heels, looking unaffected by Kagome's words. But that was when his ears caught what she had murmured next—almost undetectable if not for his sensitive hearing.

"Insensitive moron."

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder to see Kagome walking away—all alone and definitely annoyed with him.

x

Inuyasha was on the back of the mansion, standing beside his motorcycle. He swung his leg over the seat, sat down and was about to take the helmet when he thought of Kagome's last words.

**"Insensitive moron."**

_'She really wants to see the house.' _He dismounted from his motorbike and walked a few steps towards the back door, planning to look for Kagome. Just as he was about to reach for the knob, he stopped and thought again. _'Wait! How come I'm so concerned about her?.! Who cares if she wants to tour the house?.!' _He turned his back and treaded back to his motorbike. After taking three steps, he stopped and pondered—yet again. _'But I told her I will accompany her.' _He spun around again but didn't walk this time. _'Well, it's not like I promised to her.' _He faced his motorcycle again and took two steps towards it. He paused when his conscience began to kick in again. _'She didn't do anything wrong. Why am I so harsh to her?' _He looked back at the back door but then closed his eyes._ 'AGAIN! Why do I care?.!.?' _

"Are you leaving or not?.!.?" Someone drawled out of nowhere.

Inuyasha turned to his left and saw Myouga standing against the wall, looking bored with the scene he was watching. "How long have you been standing there?.!" He demanded, amber eyes glaring at his old guardian.

"Long enough to see you walking to and fro stupidly more than thrice." Myouga answered bluntly, stepping forward towards him.

"Get lost!" Inuyasha dismissed him, riding his motorcycle but not showing any signs that he was about to leave soon.

"You're the one who seems lost," said Myouga, observing Inuyasha closely. "Need any help?"

"No." Inuyasha quickly said, avoiding Myouga's scrutinizing gaze.

Myouga arched an eyebrow but remained quiet.

Inuyasha sighed in defeat. His guardian knew him too well. "Okay, I need you to do something for me." He admitted, looking seriously at Myouga.

Myouga smiled triumphantly in his mind but he hid it and pretended to look indifferent. "It depends." He said in a layback manner, crossing his arms over his chest.

Inuyasha took a deep breath before talking. "I need you to go with Kagome around the house. She wants to see the whole house but I can't escort her because I need to go home." He said all of that in one breath, hoping that Myouga wouldn't catch his words and would just leave him alone.

Unfortunately, Myouga was trained to catch a lot of information even though it was spoken rapidly. "Because?" He questioned innocently.

"Huh?"

"Why do you need to go home?" Myouga asked, rephrasing his question for Inuyasha.

_'Because I need to get Kikyou off my mind and staying in her house isn't helping me.'_ Inuyasha thought but of course he wasn't about to say that aloud to anyone.So he resorted to one of his usual rude replies. "That is none of your damn business!" He said between gnashed teeth.

"Love life getting complicated?" Myouga said coolly, paying no attention to the way Inuyasha's eyes were gleaming dangerously at him. "You're being torn between the two girls, I see…" He even added, smirking at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha smirked back and decided to play along. "What two? There's more than two." He told him airily.

"Oh sure…" The older agent said in a dragged voice, giving Inuyasha a deadpan look that read, 'Do I look stupid or what?'

Inuyasha stared back at him and said in exasperation, "Just do it, okay?.!"

"Fine."

Inuyasha put his key in the keyhole but before putting his helmet on, he reminded Myouga about one more thing. "And don't you ever try sucking even a drop of Kagome's blood. If you do, you're so dead." His eyes told Myouga that he was serious about his words.

But the old man still decided to joke about it. "See?" He said with a knowing grin, pointing his finger at Inuyasha accusingly. "You even threaten me now just because of her…" He tried to sound offended but Inuyasha had seen past his act.

"I _always _threaten you when you try to suck blood." Inuyasha answered back defensively.

"I'm a flea demon, what do you expect?.!"

"Just don't try it on her. She might faint or something." Inuyasha said insistently, a momentary trace of concern could be seen on his face but was quickly replaced by mischief. "Worse, she might purify you accidentally."

"Okay, okay… no need to scare me." Myouga said in conclusion, waving his hand to send Inuyasha on his way. "Go ahead!"

Inuyasha looked at his mobile phone then back at Myouga. "She's at the first floor. Near the staircase." After saying those words, he put his helmet on and sped off—worrying no more about Kagome.

x

"That Inuyasha! He's so insensitive!" Kagome sat on the lowest step of the stairs, her chin resting on her hands. "Who needs him anyway?.! I can tour this house alone! It's not like I can't find my way around here without that jerk!" She stood up resolutely, not realizing that she had an audience.

"Inuyasha can really be a jerk at times." Myouga stated, letting his presence be known. "You must be Kagome?" He walked closer and smiled good-naturedly at her.

Kagome blushed a little when she found out that someone had overheard her, hoping that he didn't catch all of her speech about Inuyasha. "Yes sir. How did you know my name?" She asked, returning the smile.

"I'm Inuyasha's guardian, Myouga Yamura." Myouga said amiably, introducing himself to the young miko. "He sent me here to give you a tour around the house since he needed to go home."

"Who?"

"Inuyasha, of course!"

Kagome couldn't believe her ears. Inuyasha sent someone to accompany her? Her heart warmed at the thought. _'He does care…' _

"Shall we start then?" Myouga gestured his hand for Kagome to start walking.

"Okay!" Kagome smiled brilliantly, forgetting that Inuyasha was a jerk. For her, Inuyasha was once again a nice person.

x

"That's another not-so-used room for Miss Kikyou's guests. She has plenty of spare rooms."

"Mr. Yamura?"

"And that over there is the indoor swimming pool." Myouga continued, as they stood over an opened door. "Call me Myouga. I feel older when people call me so formally." He said warmly, closing the door again to continue with their trip.

"Okay," said Kagome in agreement. "Have you been working here ever since Solferis started?" She inquired, feeling that this was her chance to get some answers to the many questions that bugged her mind.

"Yes, along with Inuyasha." Myouga answered as they went on exploring the lower grounds. "We both became agents right after Solferis was built. I was working for Miss Kikyou's family even before Solferis was established. Her family owns a security agency before and I was one of the bodyguards of the agency."

Kagome had seen enough of the whole house. She really admired the whole architecture and even the furnishings were top class but she was more interested now to have some answers. "She's so young to manage this organization. I wonder how she knew about Hell's Gate and the mikos' existence." She started, leading the conversation to her question. "She must be a miko too, right?" She had always wondered about Kikyou's identity—she never knew if Kikyou was like her or not.

"Oh no," said Myouga, shaking his head gently. "Miss Kikyou isn't a miko like you. I don't know how she learned about all of these but I'm sure she's not a miko. Inuyasha must have sensed her if she's a miko."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome spoke his name with uncertainty in her voice, her forehead cringing in confusion.

"Inuyasha's a hanyou so he's a natural-born tracer. All hanyous have that special ability to detect miko auras." Myouga explained to Kagome, noticing that Kagome's interest in Kikyou's house was long gone. He didn't bother anymore to show her the other rooms which were not that interesting.

"So that's why he was able to tell that I'm a miko…" said Kagome ponderingly, more to herself than to Myouga. "Does that mean that all hanyous know I'm a miko? It's like I have this sign on my forehead that says, 'I am a miko. Kidnap me!' whenever I walk in public?"

"Well, that's one way of saying it." Myouga acceded, smiling humorously at the miko he was with.

"No wonder Inuyasha walks so close to me whenever we are outside…" Kagome said in understanding, remembering all of the instances very well.

Myouga couldn't help but smile, just thinking of the confusion and the hardships Kagome had gone through because of Inuyasha's weird ways of fulfilling his mission. "Inuyasha isn't very comfortable with this kind of missions. You are only his second charge so he is not used to the things that are to be done. He may be weird and harsh on you sometimes but I'm sure he's just doing it for your safety." If he would be able to let Kagome understand that Inuyasha didn't actually mean to be rude to her, perhaps they would have a better relationship and they would fight less often.

"Second?" Kagome wondered, her brown eyes reflecting perplexity. "What happened to the first one?"

"His father didn't want Inuyasha on the job so I replaced him." Myouga said simply.

"Why?"

"Because he thinks he's incompetent I guess." He bowed his head, thinking about those people who had judged Inuyasha before they even got to know him. _'They're all wrong... He has lots of ability and he's a good person. All because he's a hanyou, that's why they overlook his good qualities.' _

"But he's wrong…" said Kagome softly, thinking the same way as Myouga. "Inuyasha is actually very good at his job. He's never failed me." Even she was surprised with her own words but she realized that they were all true.

Myouga raised his head and smiled genuinely at her. "I'm happy with what you have said, Kagome. Thank you for trusting Inuyasha." He looked at the miko's face closely and saw in her eyes that she was one of the few people who bothered to see Inuyasha past his exterior cover. He could tell that the girl in front of him cared for him. "Maybe you're the one Inuyasha needs for him to see that trust is important in this job…"

It was Kagome's time to smile. Deep in her heart, she hoped she could talk to Inuyasha freely so she could know more about him directly from him and not from other people. _'At first, I never thought Inuyasha was someone who I could trust my life with. But he gained my trust little by little… He's never lied to me and has always been there to protect me.' _She thought of all the times they'd been through and knew that Inuyasha had done so many things for her already._ 'Even though he can really be aggravating sometimes, I trust him completely.' _She realized that now and she hoped that he would never do anything that would destroy that trust.A part of her heart still wondered about something though. _'But still there are times when it seems like I can't reach him. He seems to be distancing himself to me—avoiding me. I don't understand him... Is he scared of me? What's the reason?' _

As if reading Kagome's thoughts, Myouga continued when Kagome didn't say anything. "Inuyasha is never good at expressing himself to others. During his childhood, he was avoided because he was a hanyou. His youkai relatives didn't acknowledge him and his human relatives were afraid of him. He had experienced a lot of hardships at the young age of ten. If ever he distances himself, it's his way of protecting himself from hurt and complications. I hope you'll just try to understand him. He's still a child at heart…" He looked at Kagome hopefully, slowing down and finally coming to a halt.

"I think you're right…" Kagome smiled in return, a part of her was enlightened by Myouga's words. She would try to reach Inuyasha. She would not give up easily. She could feel Inuyasha was alone deep inside and he needed someone.

"So that's the end of our tour!" Myouga announced happily, standing at the door of the room Kikyou had provided for her while she stayed at Kikyou's mansion.

"Thank you, Myouga." Kagome said gratefully, opening her door but not yet entering.

"It's my pleasure, Kagome." Myouga said in return, controlling himself when he suddenly felt like biting her neck. _'Damn youkai instincts!' _"I'm glad you are Inuyasha's charge." He added sincerely then turned to leave.

_'I just hope he's glad too…' _Kagome thought, thinking about her silvery white-haired protector."Thanks again!" She watched Myouga walk away and thought, _'Inuyasha's lucky that he has you…' _

x

It was the day of the festival. Everyone was busy with different activities. Two girls were talking on an isolated aisle, planning for the auction that would be held soon.

"Chisa, you know what to do now, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Chisa nodded, smiling deviously at her companion. "I'm sure no one will know anything." She assured the other girl.

"Good," said the other girl, sounding satisfied enough. "Make sure the annoying bitch is taken care of."

"Will do." Chisa replied, looking at her watch. "I better go. The auction is about to start." She left the other girl hurriedly.

The other girl also walked away in the other direction, her long wavy hair bouncing smoothly behind her.

x

"What did you say?.!.?" Yuka gasped aloud, her eyes widening in horror at Kagome's words.

"Kagome! You should have brought some money!" Eri added, scolding her like she had just done a heinous crime that was unforgivable as they fought with the crowd that was also checking out the booths.

"Why should I? I'm not interested in bidding," answered Kagome in a carefree manner as she continued to look at the stuff in front of the crafts booth. "I'll just waste my money."

"What about Inuyasha?.?.?" asked Ayumi, looking over at the hanyou, who was standing next to Kagome. "What if he gets chosen? He'll be free for anyone who has the money to buy him!" She looked even more worried than Kagome, who was enjoying herself and was not looking even a bit worried.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha for a second then returned to look around for more interesting things. "It's just a date, okay?.!" She told her friends as they moved to the next booth. "Calm down. It's not like Inuyasha will fall in love with a girl in just one date!" She secretly looked at Inuyasha again and thought, _'I doubt he ever fell in love with anyone!' _

Inuyasha caught Kagome's sneaking a look at him but pretended he didn't notice. "Girls have their ways on how they can make us do what they want." He said to no one in particular but he actually intended it for Kagome. "I'm only a guy and we have our _weakness_…" He emphasized the last word, trying to tease her. He never got tired of that certain hobby of his.

"Oh shut up!" Kagome said to Inuyasha, looking sharply at him. "I told you I don't have any money!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha sneered, dodging her glare. "If you get chosen, don't go begging me to save you if some perverted asshole tries to buy you!" He said arrogantly, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Don't worry I can take care of myself, thank you!" Kagome said airily, reassuring him then turning her back to him. "And if ever a fangirl of yours buys you, she'll probably faint or scream her heart out so there's no harm done." She further added, purchasing a cute stuffed toy of a white puppy.

"Aren't you just so obsessed with me?" Inuyasha grinned as Kagome stowed the puppy stuffed toy inside her bag.

"I'm giving it to Buyo so he would stop gnawing my favorite stuffed toy." Kagome said over her shoulder, smiling sweetly at Inuyasha.

_'What?.!' _Inuyasha growled at her, swearing that he would not spend a single yen on her if ever she would be auctioned later.

"Oh, you don't know how desperate girls get, Kagome... They will definitely use this opportunity to have Inuyasha." Yuka continued to sermon Kagome as they circled the other booths. "Inuyasha's right. What if the girl who buys him forces him to drink a love potion? What if Inuyasha is kidnapped? You won't be able to get him back again!"

"Yeah! You'll be separated forever! It's safer if you're the one who buys him!" Eri agreed, sounding like some hopelessly romantic addict while she tried to convince Kagome. "Well, it's not like you don't date Inuyasha but at least you have some more time with him." She nudged Kagome suggestively, smiling at her friend.

Kagome stared at Eri silently for a few moments, trying to process her suggestion. _'They really believe Inuyasha and I are together…' _She thought, feeling guilty about tricking her friends. "You just don't know how much I want to spend less time with him…" She muttered to herself as she continued to walk.

"You were saying something?" said Sango curiously, looking at her friend.

"I mean I spend so much time with him that there's no way I'm going to miss him." Kagome smiled at Sango innocently, hoping that she would buy it. "From time to time, it's good to miss your boyfriend, right?" She added even though she was gagging just so she could convince her friend. _'How sappy can I get?' _She thought, wanting to hide her face behind her palm.

"You're so sweet." Inuyasha beamed at her but Kagome knew that he meant to say, 'That was the sappiest line I've ever heard.'

"Thank you." She managed to reply, forcing herself to smile sweetly at him. _'Argh, don't remind me anymore!.!.!'_

Kagome's friends were clueless of the true conversation going on between the couple. "Aw… aren't you just so sweet together!.?" Ayumi cooed, her eyes looking dreamily at the two. She really shouldn't hesitate any longer! She would write her friend's love story and let the whole world know how their love blossomed!

"Come on, the auction's about to start!" Sango changed the topic before Ayumi started another comment on how cute Kagome and Inuyasha looked as a couple. "All of us are needed there, remember?"

When they arrived at the auction booth, Chisa was already standing on the stage, next to the raffle box. A lot of people stood in front of the booth, readying to bid. When Inuyasha arrived, a lot of the girls screamed excitedly and demanded that they start the auction now.

"They look like I'm already for sale." Inuyasha grumbled, looking peeved as they took their spot in the crowd.

"Relax, Inuyasha. It's not yet official…" Miroku tried to erase Inuyasha's bad mood and let him enjoy the event.

Chisa cleared her throat and announced the opening of the auction. "We have in this box the names of every student in Section A and the names that will be drawn out will be auctioned." She began, pointing at the raffle box.

"Oh come on! Just get on with the auctioning!" A girl, who—Kagome was definitely sure—was one of Inuyasha's fangirls, yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Right," said Chisa flatly, glowering at the said girl while putting her hand in the box to draw the first name. "Six names will be auctioned, three boys and three girls. Let's begin."

x

"Ueda Michihiko sold to Yoshikawa Hideki!" Chisa announced as Michihiko went down the stage, blushing furiously because her crush had just bought her. Chisa walked over to the box again and drew out another paper. "Last guy to be sold is…" She looked at the paper and saw the name 'Inuyama Takeo' but to fulfill their plan, she changed it and read it as, "Tsuzuki Inuyasha!"

Almost all of the girls in the crowd screamed loudly and began taking out their money. A few began breaking their piggy banks on the ground and counting the money they had saved.

"Me! Me! I'll buy Inuyasha!"

"No, I'm going to buy him!"

"I want a date with INUYASHA!.!.!"

Kagome could tell that the ITOFC had died only by name but the members still lived.

"Miroku, stay with Kagome." Inuyasha said in a low whisper before he went to the stage to get it over and done with. _'Damn, I just hope I don't end up with a scary fangirl…' _He thought as he stood in the middle of the stage and looked at the crowd, all girls seemed to be willing to buy him. His eyes found Kagome in the crowd, still being convinced by her friends to bid too.

"Kagome! Come on! Bid!" Eri said in frustration, looking at Kagome pleadingly for her to do something.

Kagome read Eri's look as, 'You've got to save Inuyasha!' but she wasn't exactly sure that was what Eri meant. "What?.!" Kagome said, barely hearing her friend's words because of the crowd's noise. "I told you I don't—"

"I said BID!" Yuka yelled at her authoritatively, her eyes had that 'Bid-Or-Else' look that scared Kagome.

"All right! All right!" Kagome gave in, taking her purse out of her bag. She looked inside and pondered for a moment before her hand shot up in the air.

"Let's begin the bidding!" Chisa looked at the crowd to find someone to give the first call. "First call will be given by… you there!" She pointed in the middle of the crowd, making everyone look at that direction.

It was Kagome.

Everyone silenced and looked at her in anticipation, knowing that she was Inuyasha's girlfriend. Some of them feared that the bidding would end soon because Kagome would buy Inuyasha with everything that she had in her wallet.

"Fifty yen!" Kagome yelled out loud.

Silence for two seconds then everybody ignored her, pretending they didn't hear anything, and everyone started screaming their heads off again.

"Me! Me! Fifty-one yen!" Someone said proudly.

"Kagome! That's your boyfriend out there!" Sango said in disbelief, looking at Kagome with a 'How-Could-You?.!' expression on her face. "You plan to buy him with fifty yen! Is that all he is worth?.!"

Kagome sighed helplessly. What could she do? She didn't bring any money with her. "I told you I—"

"Forget it! I'll do the bidding for you!" Yuka cut her, taking the matter in her own hands. "Five hundred yen!" She yelled, trying to fight with the crowd's volume.

"One thousand!"

"Five thousand!"

"Ten thousand!"

"Fifteen thousand!"

"Woah… Inuyasha is that valuable?.!" Miroku said to Sango, looking amazed as the girls continued to bid for his friend. "The others were sold below ten thousand!"

"He has a fans club. The others don't." Sango said in reply, although she too was astounded by the amount Inuyasha's fangirls were willing to spend just to have a date with him.

"Well, you've got a point there." Miroku replied then took Sango's hand stealthily before Sango even noticed his attempt. "Don't worry, I'll buy you with more than ten thousand if ever you'll be sold." He winked at her, squeezing her hand softly.

"Now, I'm worrying." Sango told him, pulling her hand away from Miroku's iron grip but to no avail.

"Fifty thousand!" Yuka called out, raising her hand in the air.

"Hey! Where do you think will I get that kind of money?.?.?" Kagome asked her, trying to block out all of the other shouts that filled the air.

"Pay me tomorrow. I'll let you borrow," said Yuka hurriedly, not wanting to miss even a single call from their opponents.

"Tomorrow?.!" Kagome gasped, looking alarmed. "Do you really think I _can_ pay you tomorrow?.!" She didn't have that much money even at home. Well, Inuyasha was rich so he could pay for her…

"Sixty thousand!"

"One hundred thousand yen!" Someone announced clearly, making the other bidders stop to see who the rich girl was.

"Who's that?" Kagome too was curious because she found the voice familiar. Her heart was beating fast in her chest as she stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a glimpse of the mysterious girl.

"It's Nazuna." Ayumi said in a whisper, seeing Nazuna standing in front of the stage—right in front of Inuyasha.

Kagome's heart stopped all of a sudden. She looked at her left and asked Yuka suddenly, "Yuka, aren't you going to bid some more?"

"I don't have that much money!" Yuka told her, looking worried as well.

But not as worried as Kagome looked.

"What if Eri, Ayumi and Sango also help?" Kagome tried again, calculating mentally. All of a sudden, she wanted to win the bidding. A voice inside her was telling her that she shouldn't let Nazuna have Inuyasha.

"I guess we could mana—"

"One hundred and ten thousand!" Kagome suddenly shouted in the middle of the silence of the crowd. Everyone's eyes were turned to Kagome but she didn't care. Her eyes looked determinedly at the stage—at Chisa.

"One hundred and ten thousand! Higher?" Chisa repeated, looking around the crowd for anyone who could challenge Kagome's bid.

"I thought you didn't care about Inuyasha?" Eri inquired, smiling knowingly at her friend.

"Going once…" Chisa began.

Kagome felt like going to the stage and saying the rest for Chisa because it seemed like it was taking her forever to say the final words to finally sell Inuyasha. "I just don't like Nazuna getting near him." She found herself answering Eri's question.

"Going twice…"

"Jealous?" Eri offered, trying to put a name on the emotion Kagome was currently feeling.

"No!" said Kagome quickly. _'But what if Nazuna does do some desperate measures…She really wants Inuyasha badly.' _She thought, looking at Inuyasha but the hanyou seemed to be listening too to Chisa's final words."I'm just worried." She added to Eri.

"Going thrice and—"

"One hundred and fifty thousand yen."

It was Nazuna—Kagome was sure now. She bit her lower lip hard. There was no way she could beat her. She was far richer than her. All of the people were looking at her, waiting for her to bid higher but she couldn't. The silence was suddenly deafening and she knew that she had lost. Her chocolate brown eyes found Inuyasha standing on the stage. He was looking straight at her, smirking at her gently. His mouth opened and she read the words that he had mouthed to her.

'It's all right.'

All of a sudden, losing didn't seem to matter anymore.

Kagome nodded silently, her heart calmed by Inuyasha's words.

"Going once… twice… thrice… Sold!" Chisa announced, pointing to Nazuna. "Tsuzuki Inuyasha is sold to Ikimura Nazuna."

Nazuna smiled victoriously, glancing at Kagome's direction. _'And now, to take care of the pest.'_She thought, smiling at Chisa.

Inuyasha went down the stage and went straight to Kagome's side. He leaned close to her ear and whispered softly with a hint of curiosity in his voice, "I thought you didn't care whoever bought me."

Kagome could feel Inuyasha's smile even though she couldn't see him. His breath was tickling her gently, making her cheeks grow hot. She didn't dare look at him in case she was blushing. "My conscience nagged me." She whispered back, hoping she wouldn't hear the loud thumping of her heart.

Inuyasha's smile reached his heart, feeling warm at the answer he heard from Kagome. He leaned back and was silent for a while, just thinking of her words. He decided he wasn't going to comment anymore but then he also thought it wouldn't hurt to say something nice in return. He had been rude to her most of the time so to compensate somehow, he thought of trying to be nice to her for a change.

**"Why not try to be nice to me for a change?.!" She demanded, her eyes now looking at Inuyasha to glare at him. **

His clawed hand had tapped Kagome's shoulder to catch her attention and when she turned her head to face him, he said in a voice that he was sure only she would be able to hear, his eyes safely looking straight forward and not meeting hers, "Tell your conscience, it was sweet of her."

Kagome stared at Inuyasha for two seconds but knew that he wasn't going to look at her. Then she also looked away and when she was sure Inuyasha couldn't see her face, she smiled softly. She often wondered how Inuyasha said his thanks, now she wasn't wondering anymore.

"Inuyasha,"

Nazuna was standing in front of them, looking like she had just won the greatest prize of all.

"What?" Inuyasha growled out, looking venomously at her.

"See you later, okay?" She gave out a warm smile but Inuyasha didn't return it and didn't even say anything.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome, looking at her and completely ignoring Nazuna. "Stay with Miroku while I'm on the date, okay?"

"Yeah, I know." Kagome nodded gently and then met Nazuna's eyes. Her eyes told Kagome that something was coming—and it wasn't good.

That was the moment Chisa's words were heard. "Last girl to be sold is…" She paused and looked at the crowd as if searching for someone. Her eyes stopped when she found Kagome.

"Higurashi Kagome!"

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Yay! How exciting!.!.! Fluffy enough? Oh believe me, angst will follow afterwards so don't be relieved. Thank you for all the warm reviews and suggestions and laughs! Keep it coming and the chapters will keep on coming as well—although they may be delayed… Oh well.  



	9. Two Dates in One Day

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews you gave me! We had human auctions before in my high school days… It was fun actually. You get to torture them and make them do silly stuff if you have the money.

I've got bad news for you before you start reading the chappie (grab anything that you could possibly throw at me in case emotion gets too strong). Inuyasha is NOT buying Kagome. Find out why… But I think you'll like this chapter a lot…

x

Disclaimer: Inuyasha, I told you I don't own you. Why do you keep following me around? Now, go back to Takahashi-san before the cops come…

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 9

_**Two Dates in One Day**_

x

x

x

x

x

Kagome's head quickly went to look at the stage where Chisa was standing, her eyes wide like saucers and read, 'You've got to be kidding me!'

"What a _coincidence_…" Nazuna said, trying to sound innocent but failing miserably. "First, Inuyasha… Then, you…" She smiled at Inuyasha sweetly once again.

Inuyasha growled in reply. "I doubt it's just a coincidence," said the hanyou, glaring at Nazuna fiercely. The girl was deliberately begging him to bite her head off.

"Kagome, please come up here so we may begin the bidding." Chisa called to Kagome, meeting Nazuna's eyes briefly for them to share a victorious smile.

"O-Okay." Kagome said hesitantly, lifting one foot to start walking towards the stage. However, she found herself unable to move because of a certain hand that clasped her arm. "Inuyasha?" She looked at the hanyou questioningly, although she had an idea why he was holding her down.

Inuyasha glowered at Nazuna, who was still with them and was still smiling much to Inuyasha's annoyance. He took Kagome away, leaving Nazuna alone and distancing themselves from the crowd. "You're not going." He finally said when they were far from anyone's earshot.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome protested, putting her hands on her waist. "Of course I'm going!" She told him stubbornly, chocolate brown eyes full of conviction.

Inuyasha's golden yellow eyes held the same determination. "If you go, I won't be able to protect you!" He reasoned out to Kagome, making sure their conversation wasn't heard by anyone.

Kagome took a deep breath and released it slowly, looking straight at Inuyasha's eyes. "Look, we all agreed on this deal. Whoever gets chosen must go." She explained, reminding Inuyasha of the terms their section had agreed upon. "I'll be fine." She added to comfort Inuyasha's doubts, turning around quickly to leave before Inuyasha stopped her again.

"No." Inuyasha immediately grabbed her arm again, looking a lot like a little kid that was begging for his mother not to leave him.

Kagome sighed then turned to face Inuyasha once more. "Inuyasha, I can handle myself." She tried to pry Inuyasha's grip loose but he simply wouldn't let go.

"It's dangerous." He told her warningly, hoping she would consider the possibilities that Hell's Gate might be lurking around and waiting for the two of them to separate so they could take her.

Kagome knew that perfectly well but she didn't want to live her life fearing Hell's Gate all the time. She wouldn't allow _them_ to ruin her life only because she was a miko. "I promise I'll be very careful." Still, Inuyasha's hold on her didn't come loose so she tried again. "I can protect myself now. _Trust me_." She offered a smile to him.

Inuyasha didn't know what actually made him do it but his grip loosened. Perhaps it was the doing of her words or her smile. Maybe both. "But I'm still going to make Miroku follow you." He reminded her, not accepting completely that she had managed to change his mind.

"Thank you." Kagome's smile brightened as she walked towards the stage. '_For trusting me—even just a bit.'_

Inuyasha had stayed behind, watching the crowd closely and still keeping an eye on Kagome.

"Inuyasha can't let go of Kagome!.!.! How sweet!.!.!"

'_They're getting worse day by day…' _Inuyasha thought as he went a little closer to the crowd to lessen the distance between him and Kagome. If ever there was an emergency, he would get Kagome more easily if he was closer to her.

"First call?" Chisa said to open the bidding when Kagome found her spot at the middle of the stage.

Kagome looked nervously at the silent crowd. All eyes were on her and it was making her uncomfortable. She could see Inuyasha in the crowd, looking around for possible dangers.

"Fifty yen!" A lanky guy from Section B called out, laughing like crazy at his own tactless joke. "Oh wait, I don't have that much! Let's lower it to thirty!" He sneered at Kagome, his slanted blue eyes mocking Kagome openly.

Ouch. Now Kagome knew how Inuyasha felt when she tried to buy him with fifty yen.

Inuyasha growled lowly, looking at the offending boy's direction threateningly. All of a sudden, he really felt like sinking his claws into someone's throat and the insolent human from Section B was starting to become his perfect target. Amazingly, he managed to stay in his position—at least for a few more minutes.

Nazuna smiled at the boys from her section as they continued to taunt Kagome. "Oh come on, there must be someone who will make do with her!" She looked at Kagome from head to foot as if assessing her then said insultingly, "She looks _decent_ _enough_."

"Now that you mention it, she is quite cute actually." Someone said, looking at Kagome with a not-so-innocent look in his eyes. "Three hundred yen!" His eyes lingered at Kagome's exposed long legs below her little green skirt.

Inuyasha saw the expression on the guy's face and knew immediately that he wasn't decent for Kagome. He cursed the school mentally for making the girls wear short skirts as their uniform. "Cute?.!" He argued, countering the perverted boy's words as he marched to the front of the stage. "Are you blind or what?.! She's a bloated whale, you asshole!" His fiery eyes stayed fixed on the guy as he pointed at Kagome. '_Stop staring at her that way or I'm going to rip your fucking eyes out!' _

'_WHAT?.!' _Kagome's eyes twitched a couple of times as she stared at Inuyasha incredulously.

"Isn't she your girlfriend?" Someone else asked Inuyasha curiously, unable to understand why he was insulting her as well.

"So what if she's my girlfriend?" Inuyasha replied, turning to glare at the stupid guy who had asked him. "Mind your own business and keep out of mine!" He snarled at him.

Being the noble friend that he was, Miroku walked towards Inuyasha to save his friend from further trouble. "Inuyasha, you're not supposed to insult your girlfriend in a crowd—especially in front of her with other males around." He told the hanyou slowly, making sure Inuyasha got his words.

"Keh! I'll do whatever I want!" Inuyasha scoffed, paying no attention to Miroku's attempt to help him out.

"Anyway, I think you're just jealous because I'm going to have a date with your girl." Another boy—this time from Section C—said, smirking at Inuyasha arrogantly. He then turned to look at Kagome and smiled warmly at her. He was the president of Section C. Kagome knew him because he attended different school meetings with her. He was Bankotsu Shirame. "One thousand yen!" He offered without taking his eyes off Kagome.

"Jealous?.! Do I look like the jealous type of boyfriend?.!" Inuyasha asked him, his molten amber eyes daring him to say that he was indeed jealous. "And stop staring at her when I'm talking to you!" He barked, his eyes seething badly as he glowered at Bankotsu.

Everyone was looking at him, their faces had the expression that clearly said, 'Correct me if I'm wrong but to me, yes. YES, you do look like the jealous type!'

'_You are acting like one.' _Kagome thought, smiling a little at Inuyasha's outburst.

"I'll just pretend I didn't ask that…" Inuyasha muttered to himself, seeing the expression in their eyes. "But I'm warning you, she really eats a lot on a date. And she laughs like she has escaped the mental asylu—"

"I DO NOT!" Kagome interjected, getting infuriated with Inuyasha now. She knew Inuyasha was just trying to save her from being auctioned and she actually appreciated it. But she would have preferred it more if Inuyasha would shut up instead of making her look so disgusting and unlikable. She went closer to Inuyasha, kneeling on the stage so she could talk to him. "Inuyasha, stop it or I'm going to kill you!" She whispered so only he could hear her, her eyes looked really scary at that moment.

"I'm trying to save your ass, wench!" Inuyasha whispered back, growling when he found Bankotsu looking at them and smirking haughtily. What he wouldn't give to wipe that smirk off that bastard's face…

"You're making me look so horrible!" Kagome griped, returning Inuyasha's attention to her.

"Why? Aren't you?"

Kagome resisted the urge to hit him squarely at the face. Instead, she glared at him, stood up and walked away from him, returning to her spot on the middle of the stage. "I think Inuyasha wants a new girlfriend." She stated out loud, arms crossed over her chest.

"What the hell!.?" Inuyasha exclaimed, his eyes looking at Kagome in disbelief. He glowered at her for a few seconds then looked away. "I don't give a fucking damn what you do anymore!" He stormed off and went to the back of the crowd—but still he kept an eye on her, making sure she was safe.

As if that was the cue they were waiting for, the guys started getting bolder and began bidding for Kagome more actively.

"Two thousand yen!"

"Three thousand!"

"Inuyasha, aren't you bidding for Kagome too?" Miroku asked, standing beside his friend as the auction continued. "You should have done that instead of trying to discourage the other bidders." He looked at Inuyasha sideways, smiling a little when he found a hint of guilt on the hanyou's face.

"I'm not about to waste my money on that ungrateful bitch!" Inuyasha said proudly, looking away to hide his face from Miroku's scrutinizing eyes.

'_Stubborn to the core,' _thought Miroku, shaking his head slowly. "You are hopeless, you know that?"

"Fuck off."

"Six thousand? Do I hear a seven somewhere?" Chisa asked, wanting to get the last auction done.

"Ten thousand yen!"

Inuyasha's ears jerked at the words. He wanted badly to turn his head to see who the annoying boy was that tried to buy Kagome but he didn't move and feigned indifference because he could feel that Miroku was still watching his actions. No, he wouldn't give him the satisfaction that he was indeed worried.

"Wow… _Someone else _definitely wants to spend his money for Kagome." Miroku commented, trying to get a reaction from Inuyasha.

"Who fucking cares!" Inuyasha answered back although he was tempted even more to look at Kagome's buyer. '_Don't look… don't look…' _He repeatedly chanted inside his head.

"Going once… twice…"

"The boy seems decent enough. Kagome doesn't seem to mind if he's the one to buy her…" Miroku added, smiling at Inuyasha's evident struggle. '_He's really trying hard not to look.'_

'_Don't look, don't look—oh, screw it!' _He thought, not caring anymore if Miroku teased him for his whole life. "Decent my ass! I bet he looks ug—" Inuyasha turned his head to look at the direction Miroku was looking at to find a familiar boy with dark brown hair. '_Wait… that boy! He's the one Kagome was talking to last time at Sougeki's!' _He walked hastily towards the stage.

"Thrice… and SOLD!" Chisa said hurriedly, relieved that it was finally over and Kagome was out of their way now. "Higurashi Kagome sold to Houjou—"

"Wait!" Inuyasha was now standing right in front of the stage, looking determinedly at Chisa. "This isn't finished yet!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome looked at him in surprise. '_Is he going to bid for me…?' _All of a sudden, her heart began to beat faster than normal.

"Ten thousand and one yen!" Inuyasha said to Chisa.

'_That jerk!' _Kagome thought, mentally calling Inuyasha cheap and annoying over and over again.

Chisa stopped herself from smiling derisively at Inuyasha. "I'm sorry but the bidding is closed." Chisa said but she didn't look sorry at all.

"Then _open_ it." Inuyasha snarled at her, a hint of threat in his voice.

"Even if we open it, you can't bid, Inuyasha." Chisa explained nervously, looking scared of Inuyasha. "You're already sold. You can't bid if you already have a date." She said in a meek voice.

Of course, how could he forget? '_Damn it.' _He cursed, looking for a way to solve his problem. '_Think Inuyasha, think!' _

"Inuyasha! What do you think are you doing?.!"

Inuyasha turned and saw Miroku rushing towards him as if to say, 'Are you out of your mind?.!' An idea formed in his mind as he stared at Miroku. He looked back at Chisa with a triumphant smile on his lips. "I'm not the one bidding! Miroku is!"

"I am?" Miroku asked, looking very clueless of the sudden happening around him.

"Of course you are!" Inuyasha gave him _the_ _look_ and beamed at him. "Don't you remember?" He patted him on his shoulder suggestively.

"Oh yeah! I am bidding!" Miroku agreed merrily, finally catching on with Inuyasha's plan.

Inuyasha knew they looked obviously suspicious but he didn't care what the others thought. As long as Kagome didn't go with _that_ boy, he didn't care even if Miroku looked like an idiot. "So can we open the bidding again?" He looked at Chisa more nicely this time, trying to make her agree.

Chisa looked at Nazuna unsurely. When she saw Nazuna nod, she finally answered Inuyasha softly. "I guess so." She looked at Kagome sideways then said, "Bidding for Kagome is still open!"

"Ten thousand and one yen then," said Inuyasha contentedly, smirking at Kagome's way.

"Cheap bastard." Kagome murmured, making sure Inuyasha could make out her words.

Inuyasha smirked even wider at Kagome then his eyes wandered towards where Houjou was standing. '_So, you want to win?' _He mentally asked, never disconnecting his eyes from Houjou.

Houjou stared back impassively at Inuyasha for a while then looked at Chisa, saying calmly, "Twenty thousand yen." He looked so formal and respectful in his all black uniform.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, looked really menacing with the way he held himself that moment. "Thirty." He instantly returned, not letting two seconds pass after Houjou had spoken. His eyes stayed fixed on Houjou as if they were playing a game that whoever looked away first would be the loser. Winner would get Kagome, of course.

"Fifty." Houjou answered back as quick as Inuyasha did, also maintaining eye contact with him. Both were definitely determined to win the game they had set up.

Inuyasha wasn't going to allow himself to lose. '_No fucking way.' _"Sixty thousand." He growled to Houjou.

Houjou stopped for a moment, looking at Kagome while he thought. Apparently, he didn't want to play Inuyasha's staring game anymore and he preferred to look at Kagome than him.

Inuyasha's growling increased when he saw Houjou's eyes looking at Kagome. '_Give up… I'm not going to let you have her.' _

Houjou sighed, still looking at Kagome.

Kagome looked back at Houjou curiously, not knowing why he was willing to spend so much for her. He didn't actually know her at all so why spend so much just to date her? Whatever his reason was, Kagome knew that she was flattered. It was nice to know that a guy was willing to spend so much for you. But in Inuyasha's case… why wasn't she feeling flattered? Maybe because she knew his reason very well.

Inuyasha was starting to relax, thinking that Houjou had decided to give up at last. Until he saw Houjou open his mouth and bid higher—much higher.

"One hundred thousand yen."

'_How dare he!' _Inuyasha glared at Houjou, turned to Miroku and said in a hurry, "Miroku, do something! You're the one who's supposed to be bidding here not me!"

"Hey! You're the one who's not letting me bid!" Miroku reasoned out, trying to defend himself from Inuyasha's fury.

"Just go fucking bid!" Inuyasha told him in frustration.

"Uh… Inuyasha…" Miroku started, looking at Inuyasha guiltily. He moved closer to Inuyasha and whispered to his ear, "I don't have more than one hundred thousand right now."

When Inuyasha didn't bid higher, Chisa began verifying Houjou's win. "Going once…"

Inuyasha began to panic at Chisa's words. "I'll pay for it!" He whispered back to Miroku hurriedly, encouraging him to bid already before it was too late.

"Going twice…"

"Every yen of it?" Miroku said in a low voice, clearing things with Inuyasha. Unlike Inuyasha who was currently in a hurry, Miroku was taking all the time in the world and enjoying the way Inuyasha's face looked. He was really panicking badly in Miroku's opinion.

"Going thrice…"

"Yes! Every _fucking_ yen!" Inuyasha growled in annoyance, exposing his claws for Miroku to see. "NOW BID!" He yelled at him.

"Onehundredandfiftythousandyen!" Miroku said hastily, grinning at Inuyasha.

"Not that high, you moron!" Inuyasha hit Miroku's head, glaring at the older agent. "You're annoying me pretty much, you know?.!"

"I was under pressure!" Miroku defended himself, rubbing the spot Inuyasha had hit although it didn't really hurt that much.

"I want to kill you right now." Inuyasha muttered as he continued to shoot deadly glares at Miroku's direction.

"Wait! I'm the one bidding, you can't kill me!"

"Okay… so that's one hundred and fifty thousand. Wow… Highest bid for today! Same as Nazuna's bid for Inuyasha!" Chisa announced, looking at Miroku with amazement. "Miroku's pretty rich! Anyone bidding higher?" She looked around the crowd then settled her eyes on Houjou.

They were all looking at Houjou, waiting for him to bid again. Even Inuyasha was looking at him.

Houjou shook his head slowly, signaling his acceptance of defeat.

"Going once, twice and thrice, Kagome is officially sold!" Chisa said the words in an instant, thankful that it was finally over. "Higurashi Kagome is sold to Machida Miroku!"

Kagome went down from the stage to go towards Inuyasha and Miroku. "You shouldn't have done that anymore, Inuyasha." She said softly, looking unhappy with the way things had turned out. She walked away and headed for a place less crowded for some time to think.

Inuyasha and Miroku went after her. "Done what?" Inuyasha asked, unable to understand why she wasn't looking even a bit grateful to him. '_I was doing you a favor!' _He wanted to tell her out loud but he decided against it.

"You forced Miroku to buy me, didn't you?" asked Kagome, looking into Inuyasha's eyes and hoping he'd read her mind. '_I thought you'd let me have some fun… I thought you really understood me…' _She looked away, unable to look at Inuyasha's eyes anymore. '_I thought you trusted me…'_

Inuyasha didn't have a clue of what was going on inside Kagome's head. He thought it was only about Miroku being forced to bid for her. He didn't know it was so much more than that. "He was willing! _Right_, Miroku?" He nudged Miroku for backup.

"Yeah, I am willing!" Miroku nodded vigorously like a little kid.

"Oooookaaaay… That was very believable." Kagome said with a deadpan expression on her face.

Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell is your problem?.! I just saved your ass! You should be thankful about it _not_ tetchy!" He argued, his temper getting the better part of him. "Do you really want to have a date with that scrawny boy?.! Fine! Go!"

"It's not that, you idiot!" Kagome didn't know why but most of the time, when Inuyasha exploded, she also did the same. It was like Inuyasha was activating her to get angry. "It's because you don't give me any freedom anymore! You're overprotective and you never allow me to have fun—ever!" She said furiously at Inuyasha. "I told myself that I won't let Hell's Gate ruin my life but _you_ are the one ruining my life! I thought you trusted me but you obviously don't!" She turned her back at Inuyasha and walked away, wanting to escape him—but she knew that he would always follow her anywhere.

Because he was like her shadow now. No matter how she wished he wouldn't be there, he would be there. A shadow always stuck to its owner.

No matter how tough Inuyasha might be, Kagome's words had wounded him. He didn't know why it affected him when he didn't usually give a damn to people's words. He followed her immediately, Miroku hot on his tail. "You are always ungrateful!" He tried to remain angry to dull the hurt he was feeling because of Kagome's words.

Kagome spun around instantly, her chocolate brown eyes fuming with anger. "And you're always so selfish!" She shot back, trying to forget Inuyasha's betrayal by being angry with him. "You even made Miroku spend so much just so I wouldn't end up with _someone else_!" She snapped, pointing at Miroku, who was standing beside Inuyasha silently. "You don't care about others as long as you get what you want!"

"Yeah, I'm pretty selfish and I don't fucking care what you think about it!" Inuyasha said, not caring anymore about the words that came out of his mouth. He walked closer to her, his eyes connected with hers. "I sure as hell don't give a damn about you!" He leaned forward some more and whispered in her ear, "This is all just because of my _stupid_ duty to protect you." He pulled back to glare at Kagome and was guilty immediately when he saw the way Kagome's eyes widened in utter shock and hurt. His conscience instantly went to do its usual work—to nag him to apologize to her—and he couldn't easily ignore it this time.

He lowered his eyes in an effort to escape the hurt he saw in Kagome's eyes—and the guilt he was feeling.

Kagome was speechless beyond belief. She knew Inuyasha could be harsh at times but she never expected him to be that cruel to her. She wiped the tears that were threatening to fall. She wouldn't let Inuyasha see that she was hurt deeply by his words. "Yeah, I know." She said coldly, trying to look strong in front of him and glaring at him.

The silence was deafening and was luckily broken when Nazuna arrived suddenly, looking happy as she locked her arm around Inuyasha's arm. "Inuyasha, come on! The auction's over so we can start our date by watching a movie! I want to see The Shadow!" She smiled at him, ignoring Kagome and Miroku completely. She didn't mind if she was interrupting something as long as she got Inuyasha away from Kagome. "Come on, Inuyasha." She pulled him away, not looking back at Kagome and Miroku.

Inuyasha remained silent and allowed Nazuna to pull him away. He wanted to be away from Kagome for a while—he didn't want to see her crying.

Because he knew that he was the cause of her tears.

x

Kagome stayed rooted in her post, Inuyasha's last words echoing inside her head.

"**This is all just because of my _stupid_ duty to protect you."**

She didn't even realize that her friends had arrived.

"Kagome! What happened?.! Did Inuyasha and you fight over something?.!" Eri asked worriedly, seeing her friend's face.

"Don't tell me you told him you're jealous because he's going with Nazuna!" Yuka scolded her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You shouldn't have told him that, Kagome!" Ayumi gasped, giving her some encouragement that things would work out fine. "You should have faith in him!" She began telling Kagome that it was only normal for couples to argue from time to time but Kagome didn't hear a word of Ayumi's lecture.

Sango noticed that when she saw that Kagome's eyes were cloudy. '_With unshed tears?'_ She wondered, looking at her friend more closely. "Um… Kagome?"

Kagome didn't look at Sango or anyone in particular as she spoke three small words. "I'm going home." With that said, she left them and didn't turn back anymore. She was tired and all she wanted was to forget everything—especially the searing pain in her heart.

"Um, I'll escort you!" Miroku offered, going after her immediately.

At the gate, Kagome walked past Inuyasha hurriedly without looking back.

Inuyasha watched her form walk away silently.

"Inuyasha,"

It was Miroku. He didn't need to turn his head anymore to know.

"Kagome wants to go home." Miroku informed Inuyasha, but it seemed like he wanted to inform him of something else. '_Kagome was hurt by your words.' _

Inuyasha only nodded, not actually hearing Miroku's words or feeling Nazuna's insistent tugging on his arm. His eyes were still trained on Kagome's leaving form.

"Come on, Inuyasha!" Nazuna tried to gain Inuyasha's attention, pulling him once more to the other direction.

Miroku had already left to run after Kagome.

Before Inuyasha turned to the other direction, he took one last look at the direction where Miroku was headed. Part of his heart wished that he was the one running after the young miko.

x

Kagome walked slowly beside Miroku, not saying a word to break the silence between the two of them. She was thankful for the silence because she needed to sort out her thoughts. '_He's right… This is all just pretend… He's not my boyfriend. He doesn't really care…' _She thought, making sure she knew the difference between pretense and reality.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Miroku tried to get her to talk, worried that Inuyasha's words had hurt her badly this time.

"Yeah…" Kagome's soft reply didn't convince Miroku even a bit.

"Are you sure?" He tried again, looking at her face. She seemed like in a trance, like she wasn't really with him at the moment.

"Yeah…" Kagome repeated with the same tone she had used earlier.

"You don't look fine." Miroku said worriedly, telling her what he actually thought.

"Yeah…"

"Okay…" Miroku rolled his eyes then sighed. '_You're not okay.' _He finally concluded, giving up all attempts that he had to comfort Kagome. '_I can't even talk to her properly!'_

"Yeah…"

"Kago—" Miroku was suddenly interrupted when his mobile phone vibrated inside his pocket. It was a text message from Inuyasha.

_Don't distance yourself too much from her. Never let her out of your sight. AND do not touch her! I swear if you fucking do something perverted to her, I'm going to cut your hands off. And your head too. _

Miroku smiled at Inuyasha's message. '_Asshole… you care about her yet you hurt her.' _He looked at Kagome and said with a smile, "That was Inuyasha."

"Yeah…" Kagome didn't seem to know any other word anymore.

'_Inuyasha, you owe me for this one!' _Miroku sighed and tried once more to reach Kagome. "Kagome, I know you and Inuyasha aren't getting along pretty well… But whatever he said to you, I know he doesn't mean to hurt you." He began, hoping to get a few words from her. '_If she says another 'Yeah…', I'll just talk to my hand.' _

Kagome looked at Miroku and smiled a little but her smile quickly dropped. She just couldn't maintain a happy front right now. "It's all right, Miroku. Really…" She tried again, making use of words this time instead of a smile. "I understand Inuyasha. He's been forced in a mission he doesn't like and he is left with no choice. I don't blame him…" She looked down at her brown shoes and continued walking. '_I can't. It's not really his fault. He's only being honest to himself…'_ "It's okay even if he doesn't really care about me. It's enough that he's there to protect me. He's done so much for me already." But she knew it wasn't okay. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, she was affected by Inuyasha's words.

Miroku shook his head to contradict Kagome's statement. "He cares about you, Kagome. I don't know what you see but I see it clearly—the mere fact that he wants to protect you is proof enough that he somehow cares." It was the truth. Inuyasha might not notice it yet but Miroku could see clearly that the young miko had already gotten a soft spot in Inuyasha's heart.

However, the hurt Kagome was feeling blinded her from everything else. "It's only because he's tied to his duty to protect me." She told Miroku in a small voice. "He said so himself."

"Inuyasha only said that because he was hurt. He tends to retaliate callously when he's hurt." Miroku explained, feeling much like Inuyasha's messenger or speaker. "I wasn't able to correct you a while ago but it wasn't me who paid for you. Inuyasha was the one who really bought you. He didn't trust that boy who wanted to buy you so he interfered."

That made Kagome think for a moment. Did Inuyasha really do that just to protect her? Again, his last words had blinded her. "He's just filthy rich that's why he can easily throw his money away." She replied after a while, her eyes staying fixed on the sidewalk where they walked—the exact sidewalk she and Inuyasha would take on the way home. She mentally scolded herself for conjuring more memories about a certain silver-haired hanyou.

"Well…" Miroku said, trying to think of another way to convince Kagome. The task proved to be harder than he thought it would be. "You know what he said in his text message a while ago?" He opened his phone and showed it to Kagome.

Kagome stared at the screen for a while then looked at Miroku blankly. "Hi Miroku. I miss you darling…?" She recited with one eyebrow raised.

"Oh not that one!" Miroku quickly grabbed his mobile phone and scrolled down. "This!" He handed his phone back to Kagome after making sure that it was the _right_ message this time.

Kagome read the message quietly with her eyes. "Quite typical… He's said that before." Kagome said impassively, returning the cell phone to Miroku.

Miroku looked down at his mobile when it suddenly vibrated again. Another message from Inuyasha. After reading his message, Miroku grinned and handed the phone to Kagome again. "How about this one?"

Kagome looked down at the screen and read the message.

_One more thing, she is a little clumsy when she climbs the stairs up the shrine, be ready to catch her if ever she trips. Make sure you do catch her or she might break her neck or something. _

Kagome was silent for a while, rereading the message over and over again. It was only a simple message but to Kagome, it was special. It was special enough to lessen if not vanish completely the pain that was currently residing in her heart. Because of that text message, a small smile found its way on her lips.

And this time, it stayed.

"So…" Miroku began, feeling relieved to see Kagome's face lighten up. "You still think he doesn't care?" He questioned although he knew the answer by now.

Kagome smiled brightly as she turned her head to look at Miroku. "On a second thought, I think I don't want to go home anymore." She stopped walking and turned on her heels to face the direction where they had come from.

"You don't?" Miroku also faced that direction, looking curiously at Kagome. He wondered what was going on inside Kagome's head right now.

Kagome nodded, her bright smile never disappearing.

"Where do you want to go then?" Miroku asked, feeling better now that Kagome was back to her _normal _self. '_At least, she's not that depressed anymore.' _He thought gratefully, happy that he was able to help Inuyasha even just a little bit.

"Oh I don't know…" Kagome said, looking thoughtfully as if trying to think of some ways to pass the time. "How about we watch The Shadow?" She asked, her eyes looking innocently at Miroku.

"Um, Kagome?" Miroku asked uncertainly. '_Is it only coincidence or is she planning to stalk Inuyasha and Nazuna?'_ He thought to himself.

"Yes?" Kagome asked with a 'Don't-You-Dare-Ask-Me-Something-I-Won't-Like-To-Answer' expression on her face as she flashed a smile at Miroku.

"Shall we take a cab so we'll make it on time?" Miroku asked instead, returning her smile hesitantly. '_Ah... She planned this all along.' _

x

Upon arriving at the movie house, Kagome quickly scanned the area to find Inuyasha. It didn't take long because he was the only one with long silver locks in the crowd. "Oh look! What a coincidence! Inuyasha and Nazuna are also here! Isn't that great?.!" She speedily approached the couple she had spotted, uncaring if Miroku followed her or not.

"Yeah, what a coincidence indeed…" Miroku smiled knowingly and went after Kagome. '_I just hope Inuyasha won't be a big asshole this time.' _He prayed silently as he paced forward.

x

Inuyasha wasn't enjoying Nazuna's company at all. To annoy her and mess her plans, he decided not to agree with her.

That was the reason why they were still outside—and without tickets.

"I said I don't want to watch that stupid movie!" He repeated clearly, looking sharply at the girl, who had her arm locked permanently around his arm. '_Damn it. It's like she's permanently glued to me!' _He detached her arm from his for the nth time only to have it rewrapped around him. The girl couldn't realize that Inuyasha didn't like her. Maybe she did but she ignored it.

"But it's a nice movie," said Nazuna persistently, looking at Inuyasha with pleading puppy eyes. "I promise you'll like it!" She even added to convince Inuyasha.

But Inuyasha didn't have any plans to be convinced. Even if Nazuna did back flips and turned herself into a cute little puppy, he would never go along with her plans. He wanted to be far away from her. He wanted to be somewhere else.

But that somewhere else seemed to have arrived.

Inuyasha's eyes turned instantly to the direction where the scent was coming from. She was there, walking towards him slowly. He couldn't make out the emotion in her eyes as she stood directly in front of him. His heart was beating fast as his guilt nagged him louder than before. His mouth felt dry and he couldn't do anything else but stare at her. A memory suddenly flashed at the back of his mind.

"**I sure as hell don't give a damn about you!"**

As Inuyasha's eyes lingered on Kagome's eyes, he could see a trace of hurt still visible in her eyes. It had lessened but Inuyasha knew it was still there. He didn't look away from her, wishing that his eyes would be able to tell her what his mouth couldn't say.

'_Kagome, that_ _was a lie.' _

Kagome stood in front of Inuyasha, staring at him silently. She was so concentrated on seeing Inuyasha that she didn't think about anything else. Now, she realized that she didn't even know what to say when she was face to face with the hanyou. Her eyes looked back at Inuyasha hesitantly until she saw something in his amber eyes that calmed her. She didn't know what exactly it was that she saw but she was glad and contented that she saw it. "I thought you would be inside already." She spoke to break the silence hanging in the air.

Nazuna wasn't going to allow Kagome to ruin her date with Inuyasha. She didn't pretend to like her even before and she wasn't going to pretend now. "Go away, bi—"

"I thought you wanted to go home." Inuyasha interrupted Nazuna, his eyes trained only at Kagome. His voice wasn't harsh like usual, he only pointed out the obvious.

Kagome noticed that and smiled inwardly at that. "I changed my mind. It's a nice day so why not spend it outside, right?" She looked at Miroku, who was now standing beside her and giving weird looks at Inuyasha. '_What is he doing?' _She wondered in confusion.

Inuyasha pretended not to notice Miroku's look although he knew very well what he was trying to say to him. '_I'm not apologizing, you bastard!' _He wanted to tell Miroku but he didn't want Kagome to hear that. She wouldn't be happy if she did. He looked away from Kagome and said with a shrug, "Suit yourself."

"Inuyasha, we better get the tickets now." Nazuna reminded him impatiently, not liking the turn of events. First, Inuyasha was being stubborn then the annoying wench had arrived and was taking all the attention from Inuyasha that was supposed to be hers alone.

"You're watching The Shadow too, right?" Kagome asked nicely to Nazuna.

"No, Inuyasha doesn't like that movie." Nazuna said sulkily, looking at Inuyasha sideways. "You choose the movie, Inuyasha." She told him. '_As long as we don't watch The Shadow with that stupid girlfriend of yours.'_

"Fine." Inuyasha grumbled, going to the ticket booth.

"Kagome, you buy our tickets as well." Miroku shoved some money on Kagome's hands then dragged Nazuna away before she could say 'Unfair!'. "We'll grab the snacks!" He told her, tightening the grasp on her wrist just in case she planned to escape and attack Kagome.

"Hey wait! What do you think are you doing?.!" Nazuna tried pulling away from Miroku but it was useless. She had no choice but pick what flavor of popcorn she was going to have.

Kagome walked towards the ticket booth and fell in line, standing behind Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha?"

'_I'm not apologizing! Why would I?.!' _Inuyasha thought, not looking behind his shoulder. His conscience was really annoying whenever it reminded him of how harsh he was to Kagome earlier. He would admit it to himself—even just to himself—that he had been pretty cruel to her.

Kagome wanted to say an apology, Miroku's words finally sinking into her head.

"**Inuyasha only said that because he was hurt. He tends to retaliate callously when he's hurt."**

'_I must have hurt him somehow… I didn't actually act grateful for his action.' _Guilt began to surface in Kagome's heart. '_I was too busy getting angry with him.' _Now, she realized that it was half her fault as well that they had quarreled. She knew Inuyasha wasn't going to apologize, it was never in his nature to say sorry. At least one of them needed to say an apology to be able to move on. She wanted to fix things with him so if it meant swallowing her pride and accepting that she would never hear an apology from him, she would gladly accept it. She took a deep breath then released it together with her apology. "I'm sorry about a while ago."

It was a good thing Inuyasha had his back turned to her because he was surprised. His amber eyes widened in disbelief at the words he had heard. Kagome was saying sorry?

When Inuyasha didn't say anything, Kagome went on, thankful that at least she had the courage to speak out. "For calling you selfish… I was wrong." She realized that he wasn't completely selfish, a little maybe but that was still for her safety. She just knew it was all for her…

But to Inuyasha, he had been selfish. Period. No more buts or alibis. '_No, you're right to call me selfish… I have been selfish when I didn't think about how you would feel.' _He mentally hit himself for not getting the courage to tell her. His pride always got in the way.

Kagome began to feel nervous when Inuyasha remained quiet. "Aren't you going to say something?" She told him, taking as step forward as they advanced in the line. "At least say, 'It's okay.' or 'I don't mind.'" She suggested.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and smirked at Kagome. "It's okay. I don't mind." Though it might appear that he only said that to annoy her, he meant the words he had said. Everything was okay now and Inuyasha was relieved for that.

Kagome shot him a sharp look and said in irritation, "Inuyasha, I'm serious here!"

"What?" Inuyasha said, still smirking at his miko companion. "Still not contented?"

"Jerk." Kagome murmured under her breath but she knew they were back to normal. The mood wasn't tense anymore and he was simply back to his annoying jerk self.

"Okay, okay… I'll pay for your tickets too." Inuyasha grinned at Kagome before looking at the plump woman behind the ticket booth. He took out his wallet and pulled out a few bills. "Four tickets. The Shadow."

To his surprise, his nagging conscience had stopped bugging him now. No need to apologize now because somehow he felt that Kagome had already forgiven him. '_She's really weird…'_ Inuyasha thought, risking a sideway glance at Kagome as they walked back to Miroku and Nazuna.

But he was grateful for that.

x

When they entered the cinema, the trailers were still rolling so they decided to take their time in choosing their seats. To their relief, the cinema wasn't that crowded so they had lots of choices.

"Where do you want to seat, Inuyasha?" Nazuna said in a flirting manner, clinging to Inuyasha's arm like a monkey swinging on a vine.

Kagome stood in front of the couple, concentrating on the floor she walked on so she wouldn't trip. '_Don't be hysteric, Kagome. She's just flirting around. This is normal. No need to get so worked up—wait! I am not worked up! I simply don't like Nazuna clinging to Inuyasha like she's his girlfriend when she's not really his girlfriend!' _Okay, so she might be _a little _carried away by her role as Inuyasha's girlfriend. At least, she wasn't desperate enough to throw herself at Inuyasha's feet like a certain someone… She sighed and tried not to think about it anymore.

"Wherever, wench!" Inuyasha groused, trying to dislodge Nazuna's hands from his arm. "Can't you keep your hands to yourself?.!" He glared at the girl with pure annoyance but she only continued to smile at him. '_This one is so thick-headed…'_

'_At least Inuyasha does not like it.' _Kagome thought to console herself as they walked past rows of empty seats. "How about over there?" She suggested, pointing at the middle row which was fully vacant.

"Why not?" Miroku led the way as Kagome followed him while Inuyasha and Nazuna followed at the back.

Kagome sat on the seat on Miroku's right. Inuyasha finally managed to detach himself from Nazuna's grip and followed Kagome hastily, sinking on the seat next to hers.

Nazuna clutched her fists tightly as she glared at Kagome. "Inuyasha, can you please move?" She talked sweetly, indicating to the vacant seat on Inuyasha's right so she would be able to sit in between Kagome and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha spared her a brief look but returned his eyes on the screen immediately. "There are plenty of seats. Go sit somewhere else." He told her, still unwilling to cooperate.

"But I want to sit _between _you and Kagome." Nazuna protested, pouting her lips as if that would make Inuyasha give in. "After all, this is _our _date. Not yours and hers." She pointed out when Inuyasha still didn't make any move.

"Capricious bitch." Inuyasha growled but moved to the seat Nazuna indicated to him.

Nazuna happily sat on the chair Inuyasha vacated, looking very contented. "Now isn't that much better?" She smiled at Kagome as she spoke.

Kagome forced a smile back. '_She's just trying to annoy you… Keep your cool…' _She reminded herself, focusing on the movie screen to divert her attention. She sighed in relief when the theater darkened and the movie started playing.

After a few minutes of silence, Nazuna took Inuyasha's arm once again, startling the hanyou and annoying him some more. "Inuyasha, I'm scared." She even scooted closer to Inuyasha but she wasn't able to get that close because of the arms that separated the chairs.

Kagome's mouth dropped open, trying to find the _scary _part in the movie they were watching. '_What is she talking about?.! The girl is just eating alone in her room while watching television! What's so scary about that?.?.?' _She resisted the urge to point that out to Nazuna but she was finding it harder to resist the urge to tear something apart when she felt Nazuna moving closer to Inuyasha. And Inuyasha wasn't doing something about it.

"Wench, will you shut up? I'm trying to watch!" Inuyasha could feel heat radiating from somewhere on his left. When he turned his head, Kagome had her fists clenched on her lap, glaring daggers at the huge movie screen. She definitely looked annoyed at something—or more probably someone. A nagging voice inside his head was starting to tell him that he had something to do with it. He swallowed the forming lump in his throat and slowly edged himself away from Kagome—that meant from Nazuna as well—in case the miko suddenly burst into flames.

"Um… Kagome, here's your popcorn." Miroku said nervously, feeling the girl seated on his right blazing with anger.

Kagome snatched the popcorn without taking her eyes off the screen. It looked like she didn't want to look elsewhere at the moment. Especially not on her right where Inuyasha and Nazuna were sitting.

"Inuyasha?"

It was Nazuna, of course.

"What now?.!" Inuyasha complained in irritation, not looking at the girl as she curled her arm with his arm.

"I'm cold." Nazuna said softly, making sure she gave Inuyasha a hint of what she wanted him to do.

Kagome began to eat her popcorn faster, trying to ignore the conversation Nazuna and Inuyasha were having. She took a long sip from her soda, gritting her teeth hard on the straw, wishing it was a certain someone instead.

A girl with long wavy dark brown hair.

This time, Inuyasha looked at Nazuna with a deadpan expression on his face. His golden yellow eyes looked at her uncaringly as if listening to her was a big waste of his precious time.

"I said I'm cold." Nazuna repeated, pronouncing each word more slowly for Inuyasha to catch. She smiled at him prettily, her bottle green eyes looking expectantly at him.

"So?" said Inuyasha indifferently, turning away from her to watch the movie again.

Nazuna took Inuyasha's arm carefully and draped it across her shoulders while saying patiently like a teacher would to a student, "You should wrap your arm around m—"

"Kagome! What happened to you?.!" Miroku turned to attend to Kagome, who was now coughing continuously.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha immediately stood up and rubbed her back to ease the food that was choking her. "Here! Drink!" He took her soda and handed it to her as she still coughed constantly.

"Excuse me but do you mind? We're watching a movie here!" A loud masculine voice at the back complained, definitely sounding pissed off.

"Keep quiet, will you?.!" Another shouted, also sounding very much displeased that they were being distracted from their watching.

Inuyasha snarled at them all mentally. '_This is an emergency, you fools!' _He wanted to shout back but Kagome still didn't look okay and that was his priority at the moment.

"Inuyasha, let's take her outside." Miroku suggested, knowing that if they stayed longer Inuyasha might start more trouble.

"Yeah," agreed Inuyasha, helping Kagome stand up while she still coughed from time to time. '_Before I strangle those damn idiots.'_ He glared at their direction, hoping that they too would choke on their popcorns.

"Inuyasha!" Nazuna shouted, staying seated on her seat and glowering at Kagome.

"You can come along or stay behind. Your choice." Inuyasha told her then walked away, not looking back at Nazuna to see if she had followed.

x

Outside, Nazuna stared impatiently at Kagome as she still coughed occasionally. "Come on, let's go back inside!" She whined like a little kid, her arms crossed across her chest. "We're going to miss the ending of the movie if we stay here!"

"I'm fine. Let's go back in." Kagome said finally, drinking more of her soda to clear her throat some more.

"No," Inuyasha said with determination.

"No?" Kagome and Nazuna said together, both looking puzzled with Inuyasha's response.

"You don't look fine," said Inuyasha with some sort of concern. "I think we better take you home." He began to lead Kagome outside the building, leaving Nazuna behind as if she was never there to begin with.

"Inuyasha! I'm your date!" Nazuna tried to object but she didn't go after him. He would be the one returning to her. She had done enough chasing and she was tired. "You can't just leave me!" She looked at his back angrily, her temper finally reaching its limits.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and looked at her with the same intensity of anger. "She's my girlfriend." He stated straightforwardly then turned away. That was the end of their _date_.

"I think I'll go home too," said Miroku to Nazuna, walking away fast to escape her in case she decided to vent out all of her anger on him.

Inuyasha and Kagome walked away, leaving Nazuna to burn in fury.

'_You're going to pay for this, Kagome!' _Nazuna vowed, taking one last look at the couple then stomping away in the other direction.

Inuyasha sighed in relief when he saw Nazuna marching off. "Finally!" He exclaimed. "Come on, let's go watch The Shadow now." He pulled Kagome back towards the theater's direction.

"Wait! I thought we were going home already?.!" Kagome said in surprise, stopping Inuyasha from pulling her.

"Stupid! I only said that to escape from that irritating bitch." Inuyasha told her with a grin on his face. "Besides, it's still early to go back." He looked at his watch and read the time. It was only a little past three in the afternoon.

"You used me as an excuse?.!" Kagome said in disbelief, sounding a little offended, but actually she didn't mind because she also didn't like Nazuna's company at all.

"I didn't tell you to choke up!" Inuyasha reasoned out, trying to defend himself from Kagome's accusing eyes. "What the hell made you choke up anyway? Must have been the way you were eating the popcorn. You eat like you haven't eaten for ten days!" He looked at her curiously like he was trying to find the answer in her eyes.

That was why Kagome averted her eyes from his gaze while muttering softly more to herself than to Inuyasha, "I was trying to distract myself…"

But Inuyasha always heard her words no matter how soft they were. "Distract yourself from what?" Inuyasha asked curiously, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her.

"Oh nothing!" said Kagome hurriedly, trying to cover up her slip-up. '_Why do I always forget that he has doggie ears?.?.?'_

Inuyasha wasn't to be dismissed that easily. "Distract yourself from what?" He tried again, enjoying the panic dancing in her brown eyes.

Kagome's cheeks slightly turned pink so she walked fast to prevent Inuyasha from seeing her blush. "Argh! Stop bothering me! I'm not telling!.!.!" She said as she retraced her steps back to the movie house. "Let's go! I thought you wanted to watch the movie!"

Inuyasha swiftly went after her, his eyes looking at her guardedly. "Kagome, are you hiding something?" Something was telling him that there was something interesting going on.

"No!"

Inuyasha smirked as they neared the theater. '_This is going to be fun…' _

x

Inside the theater, Inuyasha was still not giving up. He was really keen on learning what Kagome was talking about when she said that she was distracting herself from something.

"Come on, tell me what you were trying to sidetrack yourself from…" urged Inuyasha, looking at Kagome and not on the movie screen that he was supposed to be watching.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome's tone was sending a warning yet she didn't look at him.

"I just want to know!"

"Well, I don't want you to know!" She popped some popcorn in her mouth.

It was time to have some fun, Inuyasha decided. "Hm… is it possible that you were jealous of Nazuna a while ago?" He looked at her pensively, waiting for her reaction.

Her reaction was instantaneous. Again, the popcorn she had put in her mouth went straight to her throat, blocking her air passage, so she began coughing incessantly.

"Hey! I told you to be careful in eating the popcorn!" He moved closer and rubbed her back to soothe her.

"Don't say things like that out of nowhere!" Kagome snapped when she finally swallowed the food that was blocking her air passageway.

"I was just wondering, you don't need to be so agitated—"

"I'm not agitated!" Kagome cut in, eyes looking adamantly at him.

"Of course, you're not." Inuyasha said tolerantly, smirking at her knowingly.

Kagome simply hated it when Inuyasha smirked that way. It was like he was telling her that he knew something that she didn't want him to know. "I told you I'm not _agitated_." She spoke again to emphasize her stand.

"I didn't say you're agitated." Inuyasha defended, his smirk widening at Kagome's defensive act. She was cute when she was playing defensive yet failing miserably.

"Your smirk is doing the job." Kagome pointed out, wanting so much to wipe the smirk off of his mouth.

"You're just being paranoid." He shrugged then his eyes glittered with mischief. "Or maybe it's true?" He really wouldn't let a chance slip to tease her.

"No, it's not." Kagome said hastily, putting more popcorn in her mouth like she was drinking water.

"Stop that!" Inuyasha took the popcorn bucket from her. "You're going to choke again!"

"Inuyasha, if you don't give back the popcorn I'm going to step on your foot."

"If you do that, I'll drop the bucket and your precious popcorn will fall on the floor."

"Do you plan to eat the popcorn all by yourself?.!"

"I'm not a heartless pig to do that." Inuyasha took Kagome's hand, smiled at her and placed a kernel of popcorn on her palm.

"Wow, thanks." Kagome said dryly but all the same she ate the single popcorn. "So _kind_ of you."

"You can ask more if you want." He took her hand again and placed another kernel on it. "This way, I'm sure you eat one at a time so you don't gag." He took a small handful for himself and stuffed it in his own mouth.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "If you exaggerate this a bit more, I bet you'll be feeding me yourself already." She tried to get the bucket from him but Inuyasha was too fast for her.

Inuyasha stared at her seriously as if considering her idea for a moment. "Hey, that's a great idea!" He grinned, taking another kernel from the popcorn and moving it closer to Kagome's mouth.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Kagome took the piece of popcorn from Inuyasha's hand and ate it herself. "Don't do that again." She scolded him, turning back to the movie they were watching.

"What?" Inuyasha questioned innocently. "It's not like it's illegal. We're in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship after all." He also looked back at the screen, a contented smile on his lips. What a great afternoon. No bitchy wench clinging on his arm and he had all the time in the world to do one of his favorite hobbies—to tease a certain miko. Yes, life was definitely good.

"No, we're _pretending _to be in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship." Kagome corrected, snatching the bucket when Inuyasha was looking at the big movie board.

"I bet you would have liked me to do that though," said Inuyasha nonchalantly, not minding to have the bucket taken away from him. He relaxed on his seat and watched the movie silently.

"Ha! In your dreams, Inuyasha." Kagome said in return, focusing too in the movie in front of them.

"Keh! In your dreams too, Kagome."

After twenty minutes of watching the movie peacefully—well, with a few swatting of hands when they tried to dig into the popcorn bucket at the same time, Kagome found out that it wasn't that bad to be with Inuyasha that afternoon. She really loved eating popcorn and the movie was great too so she had nothing to complain about.

"Weird," said Kagome, her eyes still trained on the movie as it went on. "The movie is actually good. A while ago I thought it was going to be lame." She didn't expect any reply from Inuyasha that was why she was shocked when she heard him answer.

"Yeah, weird." agreed Inuyasha, having some more popcorn. "It's not that bad unlike a while ago." '_Felt like demanding a refund.' _

"I seriously felt like demanding a refund back then." Kagome said as if reading what was on Inuyasha's mind. Recalling Nazuna's flirting, she even added without thinking much about the meaning of her words, "Maybe it depends on the person you are with when you watch the movie…" Two seconds passed before the words sank in and her eyes widened. '_Did I just say that I like being with Inuyasha?.!' _She took a tentative sideway glance at Inuyasha to find him concentrated on the screen, looking like he didn't even hear her words. '_At least he didn't hea—'_

"…maybe." Inuyasha suddenly answered, surprising Kagome once more with his unexpected replies.

A small smile crept on Kagome's lips as her eyes returned to watch the film.

Inuyasha was about to add a mocking comment to his answer but when he saw the small smile on Kagome's lips from the corner of his eyes, he contented himself with that single word he had spoken. He got another handful of popcorn and popped them in his mouth, Kagome's smile lingering on his mind as he watched the moving pictures. From time to time, telling the truth wasn't that bad.

And so was playing games with Kagome.

"Hey! No hogging the popcorn!"

But half of Kagome—even more than half—was now willing to let Inuyasha have all the popcorn he wanted that afternoon.

x

"Inuyasha?"

"Hm?"

Kagome was looking at Inuyasha warmly as they traveled on the familiar sidewalk that always took them home. "I still haven't thanked you for bidding for me back there." She had owed him for that one—at least. "So… thanks."

"…"

She smiled at him genuinely then continued. "Thank you for always protecting me and for letting me have fun today." Inuyasha had proven her wrong that very afternoon.

"We're even. You saved me from the deadly witch." He stated casually, looking straight ahead.

"Sorry, I wasn't able to buy you during the auction…" Her eyes fell on the ground, feeling a little depressed that she wasn't able to help him like he had helped her. She really wanted to buy him but the problem was the money involved. It wasn't her fault that she wasn't born a millionaire.

Inuyasha didn't want her to feel down just because of that small thing. "Forget it," He said dismissively. "I didn't want you to waste your money for that stupid auction anyway."

Kagome looked up at him again to protest. "But you wasted your money for me."

Inuyasha suddenly looked at Kagome, processing her words quickly. "You mean Miroku told you?.!" He inquired even though he was sure by now that it was Miroku who had told Kagome. Who else could have known?

"Uh… oops?" Kagome said sheepishly, biting her lower lip softly. She quickly made up for her slip-up by defending Miroku. "He only wanted to comfort me. I was depressed because you really acted like you didn't ca—okay, I'm saying way too much now!"

Inuyasha slapped his palm on his forehead lightly and muttered under his breath, "Miroku always doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut."

"He has a good reason this time though."

"Whatever."

"Are you annoyed because he told me?" She needed to know. Did he really not want her to know the truth? Why would he want to hide the truth from her?

Inuyasha's answer came shortly. "Not really." That was the truth. It didn't matter if she knew or if she didn't. It wouldn't change the fact that he had done it—for her.

"Then it's okay?"

"…"

"I'll take your silence as a yes." She climbed the shrine steps cautiously, remembering Inuyasha's text message to Miroku. '_Am I really clumsy at the shrine steps?' _She wondered but she knew that she had tripped more than a couple of times already even though she had walked these shrine steps since she was a small kid. She smiled softly as she took another step upwards. "I officially don't hate you now. I can't hate a person who's risking everything just to keep me safe."

A moment of silence followed. Only the rustling of the trees could be heard.

"…So am I expected to say the same to you?"

Kagome paused on a step to look at Inuyasha. "Not if you don't like to." She answered him before resuming going up the long stairs. '_But a part of me really wishes you would.' _

"Great." Inuyasha's dull voice said coolly while he climbed up too. "I won't then."

"I think I'm starting to hate you again," mumbled Kagome halfheartedly. She didn't actually mean that because she couldn't even if she wanted to. But the way Inuyasha had spoken, he was deliberately trying to vex her. Again, he was pushing her away.

"That will be much better, believe me." Finally, they had reached the top of the stairs. The house was now visible. Inuyasha didn't move when Kagome didn't start heading towards the house.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha quietly, her mellow brown eyes trying to speak to him. '_Why do you keep pushing me away?' _She wanted to ask but she didn't have the courage to ask him. She didn't want to increase the distance he had been putting between them. "But I told you I can't hate you. No matter how many times you show me your bad side—and believe me they're not just several times, I know you have your good side but you just don't want to show it to me often." '_I've seen it from time to time.' _Her eyes stayed connected with his openly, letting Inuyasha see that she was serious with her words.

Inuyasha found himself unable to look away from her. It was like he was bound to her by a certain spell. "Fine, do as you please." He stared back at her seriously as well.

"I am." She gave a small smile that didn't have any hint of mockery or bitterness in it. It was just a plain smile—a smile that was uniquely Kagome's. Then she started to move towards her house as if nothing had happened.

Following closely behind her, Inuyasha suddenly felt fear grip his heart as he stepped forward. She was trying to understand him and she didn't look like she had plans of giving up.

'_Just like Kikyou did three years ago.'_

x

He couldn't sleep. He checked the alarm clock on his bedside drawer and read the time. It was twenty past eleven in the evening. Something was bothering him and that kept him awake. Something didn't feel right. He could hear some noises in Kagome's room but they were faint. Probably she couldn't sleep too? Nonetheless, he still went to check on her just to make sure she was not gone.

Inside Kagome's room, everything looked normal and nothing suspicious could be found lurking outside her window. Inuyasha turned to the sleeping girl on her bed, the white puppy stuffed toy she had bought earlier clutched by her right arm tightly.

"So the puppy was for the cat huh?" A small smile crept on his lips. "Don't let it get to your head, Inuyasha…" He told himself, shaking the thought away. He squatted beside her bed and studied her face closely. He found out that when Kagome had her eyes closed, they looked more alike—Kikyou and her. He shook that thought aside too and refrained from touching her face.

"You know, even though I think you're annoying at times, I also…" He paused as if afraid that she would wake up and say, 'Aha! Caught you!' When he had reassured himself that she was asleep, he resumed his speech. "I… I also don't actually hate you now. Maybe I've got the same reason as yours. Maybe it's because I can't hate a person I'm protecting…" He pondered about this for a while but then realized that it wasn't that. "No, it's because you're different from others. Okay, that sounded sappy... I mean, you're weird at times. You surprise me with your words and actions and I…" I what? He trailed off, not knowing what else to say. "I am talking to you while you are sleeping." He finished off and got to his feet. "I'm going crazy. Why am I here in the first place?.!" '_Because you thought something wasn't right.' _

He took one last look at Kagome then closed the door behind him.

He didn't know why but the moment he had entered his room after going to Kagome's room, all of a sudden he felt peaceful and calm. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. He could finally sleep now.

Everything was all right now. Nothing was bothering him.

x

Kagome opened her eyes when she was sure Inuyasha had gone. A small smile was on her lips as her eyes lingered on the door for a moment. She was supposed to be angry with him for entering her room without her acknowledgment but she decided to wait a moment longer and see what he was going to do.

When she heard his comment about the puppy around her arm, she couldn't help but blush slightly. She was only thankful that her room was dark enough to hide her blush. When she heard his next words, the idea of scolding him was long gone. She had a hard time maintaining her even breathing and to keep herself from smiling. Fortunately, she had managed to pull off her act till the end.

"Inuyasha, you're weird too." She closed her eyes and snuggled her stuffed toy closer. She loved her new stuffed toy because it was cuddlier than her previous one. "And you surprise me too."

"**I… I also don't actually hate you now." **

That was the last thing on her mind before she fell willingly into the clutches of a dreamless slumber.

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Yay! How exciting!.!.! Fluffy enough? Oh believe me, angst will follow afterwards so don't be relieved. Thank you for all the warm reviews and suggestions and laughs! Keep it coming and the chapters will keep on coming as well—although they may be delayed… Oh well. How come my chapters are getting longer and longer? Longest chapter so far!

And I just realized something! The title of my fanfic actually applies to both characters (Inuyasha and Kagome). Kagome seeing Inuyasha as her shadow which I have already explained in a previous chapter and Inuyasha seeing Kagome as Kikyou's shadow, which is going to build up pretty soon… Hey, I think it's already starting to build up! Now, I feel much smarter! LOL! Someone give me a cookie!.!.!


	10. Its True Purpose

A/N: Yay! 200 reviews already! So many thanks to all of my reviewers for having so much patience with me. Thank you to all of those who gave me a cookie for my thoughts! This chapter contains more fluff but beware of hidden angst! Maybe I should change humor into angst since I tend to put a lot of angst already… Oh well, on with the chapter!

About the question if Shippou is appearing in this story, I'm afraid he won't. But maybe I can put him somewhere… So far, I think he won't make it. About Sango being a minor character, believe me, you're wrong…

x

Disclaimer: Alas, the Shikon no Tama is still missing a few more shards! I can't wish for Inuyasha yet…

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 10

_**Its True Purpose**_

x

x

x

x

x

"That was the best date I ever had in my whole life!" Nazuna exclaimed emotionally and loudly, making sure all of the people passing by the school entrance would hear her.

That very moment, Inuyasha and Kagome had walked by silently, heading towards the school building.

"Oh good morning, Inuyasha!" Nazuna greeted cheerfully, smiling at him. "Thanks for the wonderful date yesterday! I had so much fun!"

Inuyasha walked away, not even sparing a glance at her. She wasn't worth his time and attention.

"Oh well! He's just trying to spare his girlfriend's feelings." Kagome heard Nazuna say to her friends, who were currently sighing dreamily as they looked at Inuyasha.

"Spare my feelings, huh?" She muttered to herself as they entered the building. Somehow, a small part of her was shouting and nagging her to turn back and well—speak her mind out.

"If you want to act as the jealous girlfriend, we can go back and you can slap her all you want," said Inuyasha indifferently, not looking at her as he spoke. "She's such a sore loser anyway."

Kagome looked sideways at Inuyasha, her left eye twitching involuntarily. '_He heard me again!.?' _She made a mental note to herself that she should stop muttering to herself. "Well that's an idea," said Kagome with a small smile on her lips. "But I don't think she's worth my time and effort. Let her continue weaving made-up stories…" She continued walking towards the shoe lockers.

"You're always too kind," commented Inuyasha with a scowl.

Kagome stared back at him for a while, thinking about his words. "You're ignoring her too." She pointed out coolly. "So that means you're kind too, right?"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at Kagome's comment. "No, that means I don't care." He told her while gnashing his teeth together.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle at the way Inuyasha looked. '_He's really trying hard…' _She thought, meeting Inuyasha's eyes for a moment. "We're the same then." She said with a soft smile.

Inuyasha looked away and went to put his outdoor shoes inside the locker. "I'm still not kind." He said with conviction and started to leave.

"Sure," said Kagome smoothly, following Inuyasha and walking beside him. "Whatever makes you happy." She turned her head to look at him and smiled brightly. She was definitely happy that day. Maybe it was all because she slept well last night—plus the event before she fell asleep.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, crossing his arms in front of him as they headed to their classroom. '_Why the hell is she so happy anyway?.!' _He wondered, glancing at Kagome's smiling face. Instead of getting pissed off, her smiling face did something he never expected.

Kagome's smiling face calmed his heart.

And when your heart was calm and peaceful, didn't that mean that you were happy as well? Inuyasha couldn't believe it but he couldn't deny it either. Somehow, he did feel nice and warm.

Inuyasha stole another glimpse of Kagome's face. It seemed that her smile was permanently plastered on her lips. That thought unconsciously brought a small smile on the hanyou's own lips.

Kagome Higurashi was really a weird girl.

x

Inside the classroom, the major talk seemed to be the same as the one at the school gate. Kagome rolled her eyes inwardly and trudged slowly towards her seat. Why was it that they loved talking about Inuyasha and her?

"Kagome!"

Oh no. There they went again…

Kagome sat on her chair and greeted her friends good morning. By the way they were looking at her, they obviously heard already about the issue Nazuna had been spilling all around the campus.

"Have you heard already?.!" Yuka asked urgently to Kagome, her hands slamming on Kagome's desk that made Kagome jump a little.

"Heard what?" She blinked her brown eyes, feeling Inuyasha's eyes on the back of her head. '_I bet he's listening to this. Well, he doesn't actually have a choice since he's a DOG hanyou.' _She thought, fighting the urge to look at Inuyasha to see if he was indeed listening to them.

And not only Inuyasha seemed to be interested in her answer.

She looked around suspiciously at her classmates. Why did she have a feeling that every one of them was listening to her every word? She mentally shrugged and told herself that she was just too paranoid.

"About Inuyasha and Nazuna's date!" Eri answered for Yuka, looking as troubled as her.

"What of it?" Kagome continued to look calm even though her environment was anything but peaceful.

Sango frowned a little at Kagome's unconcerned expression. '_Is she trying to hide her true feelings?' _She thought curiously, looking at her friend closely. "Aren't you jealous?" She finally asked her, wanting to know Kagome's answer.

Kagome's forehead cringed at the question. "Why should I?" She looked at her friends in confusion.

The four of them exchanged worried looks with one another. "Kagome… Aren't you worried that maybe he's cheating on you?" Ayumi looked pretty worried, taking a glimpse of the boy seated behind Kagome.

Kagome's answer was instantaneous. "No." She told them with complete honesty.

"No?" They all said in unison, looking all of a sudden interested in Kagome's explanation for saying no.

'_Well, I can't say I was there so I need not to worry about him cheating on me.' _Kagome thought as she looked back at her friends. '_Besides, I shouldn't be worrying! I'm not really his girlfriend!' _She took a deep breath and said the only reasonable reason she could think of. "I trust Inuyasha." She was relieved when she found out that she didn't lie.

She truly trusted Inuyasha.

All of them seemed too speechless to utter a word. The four of them looked dreamy, amazed and even close to joyful tears.

"Wow…" Ayumi was the first to recover from her shock, trying to wipe away the happy tears that threatened to fall.

Yuka followed, looking pretty satisfied with Kagome's answer. "We sure did some influence on her, didn't we?" She beamed proudly at her friends.

"You bet." Eri agreed with a grin.

Sango didn't say anything but only smiled widely. She was happy for her friend. At first, she thought Kagome and Inuyasha were far too different to be able to work out a relationship. But she was proven wrong. Kagome had found someone she could trust completely and that was Inuyasha.

Kagome sighed inwardly. So their _love_ was getting stronger and stronger huh?

x

"Argh! I really hate Trigonometry!" Kagome said in frustration, walking slowly past tall shelves of Mathematics books. "I don't think I'll pass the exam tomorrow!" She swiftly turned around and glared at the hanyou walking behind her. "You!"

"What?" Inuyasha snapped back, stopping immediately so he wouldn't run over her.

Kagome's glare softened then she gave out a sigh of defeat. "Insensitive moron." She mumbled to herself, half hoping that Inuyasha would catch her words like he always did.

Of course, he heard her clearly. His eyes narrowed quickly as he tried to argue, "Hey! I'm not doing anything—"

Kagome suddenly clapped her hands together. "That's the point!" She interrupted him, looking quite annoyed with him. "You're not doing anything to help me!"

"W-What?.!" He burst out, growling in irritation. "You should have told me if you needed help!"

"I was sending you all the signs!" Kagome returned, walking once more in hopes of losing Inuyasha. '_He's so insensitive! Can't he tell that I can't do this on my own?.! At least he could have given me some encouragement or suggested some books to help me!' _She walked faster and faster and turned around the corner, not noticing that she was about to bump a certain someone.

"Ouch!" Kagome's hand flew to her face, not worried that she would find herself sprawled on the floor.

Inuyasha was there to catch her just in time before that happened.

Kagome didn't know if she just imagined it but she thought she heard Inuyasha growl lowly as he helped her regain her balance. She slowly raised her eyes to see the person Inuyasha was growling at and found Youichi Houjou standing in front of her, concern evident on his face.

"Are you all right, Higurashi?" He asked Kagome, looking at her face with worry. "You shouldn't be walking too fast in here."

"I'm fine, thanks." Kagome answered him, flashing a reassuring smile at Houjou. "I'll be more careful next time."

Houjou looked past Kagome and flashed a small smile towards Inuyasha. "It was nice bidding against you yesterday, Tsuzuki." He extended his hand for Inuyasha to shake while saying, "I'm Youichi Houjou from Section B."

Inuyasha stared at his hand but didn't make any move to take it. "Too bad you lost though." He said with a smirk.

Houjou's smile didn't falter but his eyes were a little different from before. "There's always a next time." He said to Inuyasha, a smirk looming in his solid gray eyes.

"Don't push your luck," returned Inuyasha, smirking even wider even though his amber eyes were flashing with absolute dislike for Houjou.

Kagome gulped as she sensed the uptight mood hanging around them. If she wasn't standing between the two of them, maybe the two would have started breaking each other's bones by now. It was clear to Kagome that Inuyasha didn't like Houjou and Houjou too didn't seem to like Inuyasha's attitude—although he was at least trying to be nice to him. '_Yet, Inuyasha is pushing him to dislike him!' _She thought with a frown.

Houjou said nothing to Inuyasha's comment and turned to Kagome, smiling kindly at her. "Are you looking for some books? Maybe I can help you." He closed the book he had been scanning and returned it on its shelf.

"Really?" Kagome forgot the tense mood around them and began to feel happy. Unlike some inconsiderate hanyou that she knew, Houjou was willing to help her pass her test. "I just need some easy to understand but good enough books in Trigonometry. If you can help me find two or three books, I'm sure that will be a big help." She smiled happily as she was lead by Houjou back to where she and Inuyasha had been walking a while ago.

Inuyasha followed silently, making certain that Kagome was still closer to him than the other guy. He really didn't trust the guy and he didn't want him close to Kagome. Though Kagome was walking beside him and Houjou was walking in front of them, it seemed like Kagome didn't even acknowledge his presence anymore. She was too busy talking to Houjou to notice that a certain hanyou was sulking beside her.

"Yes, the test is already tomorrow and well, I have complete notes but I think I need to have books to understand the lessons better." Kagome informed Houjou as he began to examine books in the Mathematics section.

"What's the test's topic again?" Houjou inquired as he looked at the table of contents of a thick black book.

"Everything about circular functions," replied Kagome immediately, looking at the books Houjou was starting to take out of the shelf.

"Well, Vance is good for beginners and it has lots of exercises for that. You can also try Lumbert's book because it has graphs and better explanations and you can get this one too." Houjou showed her the three books on his hands.

"Thank you for the help, Houjou." Kagome said thankfully, smiling at him.

"That's all right," replied Houjou with a smile. "Hey! Maybe I can come over your house to help you with Trigonometry myself?"

That had done it. "No way!" Inuyasha growled out, glaring at Houjou. The two were acting as if he wasn't even there. The impudent boy was obviously hitting on Kagome—and in front of her boyfriend no less! '_I mean pretend boyfriend—whatever.' _Inuyasha thought, brushing the thought aside.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said in a scolding manner. "It's my house not yours, okay?.!" Sometimes, she just forgot that they were supposed to act as a couple not enemies. She turned to Houjou but not before she caught the look Inuyasha aimed at her. He was definitely pissed off but she ignored it. "Houjou, sorry about tha—"

Inuyasha growled again and this time, he made sure that Kagome heard him perfectly. '_Why the hell does she have to apologize to that annoying boy?.!' _He thought, getting more and more vexed with Houjou.

Kagome ignored him again. "Again, sorry for Inuyasha's crudeness. He's not really in the mood right now." She told Houjou, sparing a glance at Inuyasha's direction to see him fuming with 'This-Is-All-Your-Fault' expression all over his face. She could sense a fight brewing on their way home. "About your offer, I'm afraid I have to turn you down… Sorry." She said softly, looking apologetically at Houjou.

"Now that that's fixed, let's get going." He took the books from Houjou before he could even turn to escort them to the librarian's counter. "I don't think you need to go with us anymore." He said dangerously, taking Kagome's arm with his other hand. He swiftly turned Kagome and began pushing her away from Houjou, leaving the boy alone.

Houjou looked perplexed for a second then he suddenly said, "Oh I see! Sorry Tsuzuki, I was just trying to help Higurashi. I didn't mean to... well, come _between_ the two of you." He looked embarrassed, scratching his cheek shyly with his finger.

Inuyasha's left eye twitched a couple of times. Was he really begging him to hit him? Surprisingly, Inuyasha managed to control himself so instead of turning around and giving Houjou a taste of his punch, he just muttered, not caring if Houjou heard him or not, "Keh, fool." Without looking back to Houjou, he walked away, taking Kagome with him. '_As if you can.'_

Before she was dragged away completely, Kagome looked back at Houjou and said hurriedly, "Thanks for the help again, Houjou. See you aro—" Her words were cut short and her eyes turned to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's grip had tightened on her arm—not that it was hurting her but…

'_What's his problem?' _thought Kagome as the two of them went to the librarian's counter.

x

"Inuyasha, are you all right?" Kagome finally asked as they climbed up the stairs of the shrine.

During the whole trip, Inuyasha had never said a word to Kagome and he seemed to be annoyed and ill-tempered the whole time. Even when Kagome expressed her surprise when Inuyasha carried the books for Kagome, Inuyasha didn't even mutter a 'Keh!' Something was definitely wrong with him…

"Are you angry with me?" Kagome asked uncertainly, knowing that she had something to do with Inuyasha's current behavior. This was one of the moments when Inuyasha was easy to read. It was like his whole body was fuming in anger and his eyes clearly read, 'I am sooooooo mad right now.'

Inuyasha gritted his teeth together, stopping himself from growling at her. '_Does she really have to ask that?.!.?' _He thought in exasperation. Before he could stop himself, he had already grumbled to her, "Why shouldn't I?.!"

"You're angry with me?" Kagome suddenly looked upset with Inuyasha's confession. "Is this because of Houjou?" She raised her eyes to look at his face.

'_Of course!'_ Inuyasha nearly yelled but instead he averted his eyes away from her. "You were fraternizing with my enemy." He scowled.

"Enemy?" She repeated, feeling like she was talking to a little kid who just lost the attention of his mother to his younger brother. "Since when was Houjou your enemy?"

'_Since he started hitting on you.'_ He wanted to answer but he chose to rephrase it and it came out as, "Since I first saw him." Finally he decided to look at Kagome, his eyes looked somewhat hurt and rejected. "You already know that I don't trust him yet you act so friendly with him. You make it look like you prefer him over me." He mentally smacked himself in the head for sounding so jealous. '_There's no turning back now. The cat is out of the bag…' _

Kagome looked taken aback by Inuyasha's words. She looked away from Inuyasha as she felt her cheeks slowly turning hot. '_Is he jealous?' _She thought, looking at the steps as they climbed up. Her heart was beating furiously inside her chest while she spoke, "Inuyasha, I was nice to him because he was nice to me." To know that Inuyasha was jealous of Houjou made Kagome feel good. She didn't know why but she felt like hundreds of butterflies were fluttering in her stomach.

"Well, you can at least act more like my girlfriend than his!" Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was saying. He was really acting like a jealous boyfriend, wasn't he? "I mean you're making it less believable with the way you're acting!" There. Now he didn't sound so pathetic. He sighed in relief at that thought, not noticing the sudden change of expression on Kagome's face.

Kagome stiffened for a second at Inuyasha's words. '_So this is all because he was worried about OUR ACT?.!' _She thought incredulously, staring at Inuyasha for a moment. '_And I thought he was jealous of Houjou…' _"Fine! Next time I'll act more like your girlfriend." She snatched the books from Inuyasha, opened the door and slammed it shut on Inuyasha's face. "Inuyasha, you're such a jerk." She muttered and walked away.

Inuyasha glowered at the door. '_What's her fucking problem?.!'_

x

Kagome sat in front of her desk, books and notebook open in front of her. "This is all Inuyasha's fault!" She groused, breaking the tip of her mechanical pencil for the nth time. "I can't concentrate!" She slumped forward on her desk, resting her head on her upturned palms.

_Knock! Knock!_

Her head turned towards the door's direction and she said abruptly, "Mama, don't worry! I promise I won't stay up too late!"

"Oi, Kagome…"

That didn't sound like her mother. Kagome stood up and went to open the door to find herself face to face with Inuyasha. "Inuyasha…?"

"Just why the hell did you think that I was your mom?.!" Inuyasha complained as he entered her room.

"Well… you knock—never mind." She closed the door and went back to her seat. "So what do you want? Hurry up because I still need to study." She told him, returning to the book exercises she was trying to answer.

"Stupid, that's why I'm here." Inuyasha walked over to her desk and snatched the exercise she had been solving. "I bet the books he got for you aren't even that good!" He scoffed, looking at her solution closely.

"You came here to help me?.!" Kagome didn't hide the surprise in her voice. Her eyes went down to the notebook and writing materials on Inuyasha's left hand. '_He planned this out, didn't he?'_

"You're lucky you're going to be taught by a Math genius." Inuyasha smiled down at her boyishly, looking like those young male models in front of a teenage magazine.

Kagome had to admit that even though Inuyasha was only wearing plain white shirt and red shorts, he still looked attractive. '_Great, he's turning me into one of his fangirls.' _She mentally mumbled in her mind. "Prove it to me before you start boasting, Mr. Know-It-All!" She challenged, allowing him to help her and forgetting that she was currently annoyed with the said hanyou.

Inuyasha accepted her challenge wholeheartedly. "You bet I will." He pronounced, returning the exercise to her. "You had numbers three, four, five, six, seven and ten wrong, by the way. Four out of ten?" He shook his head disapprovingly then smiled deviously at Kagome. "I think we'll be staying pretty late tonight, Kagome…"

x

"I got to admit you're a great tutor, Inuyasha!" She smiled cheerfully, walking their way back home. "That test was easy compared to the exercises you've given me last night! I feel so great even though we did sleep very late last night!"

"Told you I'm a genius!" Inuyasha smirked boastfully. "You owe me big time for that one." He reminded her.

"Okay, I'll think of some—hey!" Kagome cried out when she was all of a sudden pushed harshly towards Inuyasha by a running teenage boy that was barely older than her.

'_That boy!'_ Inuyasha's eyes quickly noticed that he had taken Kagome's bracelet but he let it go, making sure that Kagome wasn't hurt first. '_It's just a bracelet. I'll just ask for another one from Kikyou.' _He thought to himself as he watched the speeding boy disappear around a corner. "You all right?" He asked his miko companion, checking her for any injury.

"I'm all right," answered Kagome as she stood upright again. Then she let out a gasp at the realization of her lost bracelet. "Inuyasha! He took my bracelet!" With that said, she quickly ran to the direction the boy went off to.

"Oi, Kagome! Get back here, bitch!" He instantly went after her, gritting his teeth as he ran. '_Why the hell are you running after him!.?' _Now running beside Kagome, he glared at her and scolded her, "What the hell is your problem?.! It's just a stupid bracelet! Let it go!" He told her, reaching for her to stop her.

But Kagome only ran faster to escape him. "No!"

Inuyasha sighed in frustration, increasing his speed as well. "Stubborn girl! I'll just get you a new one, okay?.!" He swiftly snatched her arm and pulled her to a stop. "Let's go home." He told her.

"I don't want a new one!" Kagome pulled her arm hard, hoping to break away from Inuyasha's grasp. Inuyasha wasn't letting her go. "Inuyasha, let me go!" She stared at Inuyasha with full determination, her brown orbs told Inuyasha that she wanted so much to recover that bracelet.

Inuyasha stared back at her the whole time she looked at him. When he finally broke the eye contact, he scooped her from the ground while complaining to her, "Why the hell are you so stubborn?.!" He adjusted her weight on his arms, balancing her properly so she wouldn't fall off, and started running again.

After the boy who stole the bracelet.

"Wha-what are you doing?.!.?" Kagome managed to say at last when she overcame her shock of being suddenly lifted off the ground and carried away. Her hands fisted on Inuyasha's black top, afraid that she might fall off with the speed Inuyasha was going.

"Isn't it obvious?" Inuyasha answered her as he used his nose to detect the boy's location. "We're going to go after that damn bastard who took your precious bracelet!"

Kagome's eyes widened after hearing Inuyasha. He was helping her…? A soft smile was tugging at the corner of Kagome's mouth but she suppressed it, not wanting Inuyasha to see her.

"Wow, that's new…" said Inuyasha in mild shock, looking down at his charge. "You shut up." '_Why do you want that bracelet so much anyway?.!'_

"I can't believe you're actually helping me!" said Kagome in return, her eyes looking appreciatively at Inuyasha. '_Thank you, Inuyasha.'_

"Yeah, me too."

"Jerk." Kagome gave Inuyasha a light smack on his chest. "There he is!" She suddenly shouted when they finally caught sight of their target, turning around yet another corner.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he began to decrease his speed. Soon, it would be all over. '_What a moron. Why do they always love turning on a dead end when they're being chased?' _He gave out a sigh.

At least, Kagome would have her bracelet back…

x

"I can't believe you just let that sick loser go!" Inuyasha griped, his arms crossed over his chest as they continued their trail back home. "At least you should have let me beat the crap out of him." He muttered, looking very disappointed with the way things turned out.

"That's why I let him go. If he stayed one more second with us, you would have started maiming him." Kagome said with concern, touching the cold metal around her right wrist unconsciously.

"Hey, it's his fault! Remember? He took your beloved bracelet!" Inuyasha said in defense, his eyes briefly looking at the piece of jewelry around Kagome's wrist.

"He probably needs some money, that's all..."

"Sheesh, you sound like a saint just now." Inuyasha muttered, scowling like a little kid who wasn't able to get his favorite lollipop.

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you." Kagome said calmly, smiling at the way Inuyasha was pouting. '_He's so childish at times.'_ She thought, watching Inuyasha's face closely. '_Not to mention, unpredictable.'_

"Stupid, it was an insult!"

Kagome sighed. "Yes, a compliment."

"Wench."

"Anyway, I have the bracelet back so everything's fine." Kagome looked down on her bracelet and smiled softly. She turned to look at Inuyasha and smiled again. "Let's hurry so we'll be in time for dinner." She told him as she walked faster, waiting for Inuyasha to catch up with her.

"We would have been home by now if you didn't run after that creep, you know." Inuyasha informed her when he was walking beside her once again.

Kagome studied Inuyasha's face for a moment and frowned a little at what she saw. "You don't look happy that we got my bracelet back." She told him about her observation, looking a little upset.

'_Why should I?' _That was the first thing that entered Inuyasha's mind. It was her bracelet after all—not his. But seeing that she was already upset as it was, he decided to resort to acting innocent and said with one of his eyebrows raised, "Huh?"

"You should be, you know." She began, walking a bit slower. Her eyes were trailed on her shoes. "You should be happy because I treasure what you have given to me." Her eyes went towards her bracelet.

Inuyasha also slowed down, watching Kagome silently from the corner of his eyes. '_She really thinks I gave that bracelet as a gift, doesn't she?' _Guilt began to surface in his heart as he realized what he had been doing to Kagome. "Kagome, actually that bracelet…" His words died away when her eyes met his. '_But this is for her own good. If she knew about the tracking device, she'll just take it off…' _He thought, deciding against telling her the truth. It wouldn't hurt to tell a lie to protect her, right?

"Hm?" Kagome looked at Inuyasha with interest, waiting for what he had to say.

"Nothing." He averted his eyes away from hers, contenting himself with the thought that he was protecting her better if she didn't know the truth. '_Besides, she'll be mad as hell if she did.' _He added in his head, fearing her wrath when that time came.

Kagome shrugged, forgetting Inuyasha's weird words. "So back to the topic," She continued, glancing at Inuyasha to see if he was listening. She was contented with the way his eyes looked. To her, he looked like he was listening so she went on. "I treasure this bracelet because it was given by a friend." There. She had finally said it. She didn't know exactly why she wanted to let Inuyasha know but she was relieved. Now that Inuyasha knew that she treated him as a friend, she felt fulfilled. '_You're all alone deep inside, aren't you Inuyasha?' _She thought, wanting to look into Inuyasha's eyes and see those deep golden yellow eyes. Inside those orbs, she knew he needed a friend. '_I don't know if I'm worthy enough but I want to be your friend.'_

Inuyasha was currently muddled by Kagome's words. '_What is she trying to get from this?' _To escape confusion, he turned to Kagome and tried to change their conversation. "Who?" He asked, feigning curiosity in his eyes although he knew the answer already.

"Who else? Of course it's you!" Kagome asked then quickly bowed her head when she realized her sudden outburst. She could feel herself blushing slightly and the feeling that Inuyasha's eyes were still on her wasn't helping her blush vanish.

"That's nice…" Inuyasha remarked with a smirk, amused at Kagome's sudden admission.

Kagome was naturally born with an Inuyasha-spoken insult radar so she quickly raised her head, forgetting completely that she was blushing just moments ago. "Was that sarcastic?" She asked skeptically at the hanyou, watching his features closely.

"Suit yourself." Inuyasha answered her, knowing pretty well that he was annoying her even more with his words. '_I can never get tired of teasing her…'_

Kagome pouted her lips and complained to him, "You're very misleading at times, you know." That was the truth. She hated it when Inuyasha did that. She didn't know what to think of him and more important, she didn't know what he was thinking at that moment.

"Was that supposed to annoy me?" Inuyasha looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.

Kagome didn't know what was so funny with what she had said. '_Probably he finally lost it.' _She thought, rolling her eyes mentally. Wanting to get back at him somehow and make him feel what she was feeling whenever he said that to her, she answered him like he would. "Suit yourself."

The effect, however, to Inuyasha was quite the opposite from Kagome's. He even looked touched by Kagome's words. "Wow… you're sounding more and more like me day by day." He beamed widely, looking proud of himself.

"Now _that_ definitely annoyed me." Kagome said petulantly at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha couldn't help it this time. He burst into laughter. He really enjoyed this kind of talks he had with his charge. She was witty and entertaining. Never boring and passive—well at least when she was not being a bitter bitch. But at the back of his mind, the question that arose just a while ago still lingered.

'_Kagome, what do you want from me? What?'_

x

Kagome smiled as she handed the packed food her mother had cooked. "Thank you, Houjou for the help last time. I'm not good in cooking so my mother cooked that, by the way."

Houjou smiled back at her, accepting the package gratefully. "It was nothing, Higurashi. I'm glad to be of help to you."

Inuyasha couldn't take the sweet talk Houjou was putting on in front of Kagome. "Don't flatter yourself. The books were the ones helping her, not you." He commented gruffly, uncaring if Kagome scolded him again for his impertinence.

And truly she did scold him, uttering his name in a disapproving manner.

He only sneered and said a 'Keh!' in reply.

Kagome knew Inuyasha was ticked off again because according to him, she was once again _fraternizing_ with his enemy. But that wasn't going to stop her from thanking Houjou for doing her a favor. "I'm sorry for Inuyasha's rudeness." She told him in an apologetic manner, feeling Inuyasha bristling beside her.

But that also didn't mean that she wasn't going to do what Inuyasha wanted her to do.

"**Well, you can at least act more like my girlfriend than his!"**

"We'll be going now, Houjou." She turned around and the moment Inuyasha turned as well, she linked her hand with his hand and squeezed it lightly. She was sure Houjou was still looking at them but if he wasn't, she actually didn't care. As long as she met Inuyasha's demands so he wouldn't be angry anymore…

Inuyasha was surprised for a moment but he didn't pull away. One look at Kagome and he knew what she was trying to do. '_She's acting like my girlfriend.' _Inuyasha squeezed her hand softly in return to tell her that he got her message. In one way or another, holding her hand dissolved some of his irritation but he still couldn't forget something.

Kagome thanked Houjou—even gave him a gift—and all he got from her was a comment that he was a good tutor? '_That is outright unfair!' _Inuyasha griped repeatedly in his mind. No way was he going to let her get away with that.

Yet still… he got to admit that her hand was soft and warm.

x

Inuyasha and Kagome got out of a stuffed toy shop after Kagome bought something. Inuyasha was still acting like a little kid who was having a tantrum and Kagome couldn't ignore it anymore. It seemed like Inuyasha didn't want to be ignored either.

"Come on, Inuyasha! Stop that!" Kagome complained, getting miffed with Inuyasha's unchanging sullen mood. She thought he wouldn't be angry anymore because she had acted more like his girlfriend already. '_He acts as though we really are in that kind of relationship. He really is acting like a jealous boyfriend, doesn't he know that?.!' _She thought, a little tempted to tell him just that but she decided against it. Knowing Inuyasha, she knew he'd probably deny it—if ever it was true—and mope even more. She just couldn't stand the way he was acting. She preferred to have the rude Inuyasha—at least she knew he was perfectly fine.

"Stop what?" He drawled, not looking interested in having an animated conversation with her.

Kagome slapped her forehead lightly. "You're sulking again!" She pointed out, looking both peeved and worried at the same time. "I didn't take too long in that shop, did I?" '_Maybe that's his reason this time?'_ She wondered, looking tentatively at the paper bag she held on her left hand.

"I'm not sulking because of that!" As if to prove that, he sulked even more, staring pointedly at the path ahead of them.

'_So he does admit that he's sulking...' _Kagome thought in realization. "Don't tell me I didn't act like your girlfriend again." That was the only other reason she could think of at the moment and he did start sulking just after their meeting with Houjou.

"Keh!"

"Was that a yes or a no?" Kagome really needed to buy an Inuyasha dictionary soon—that was, if there was one available. '_He just loves to use that particular word.'_

Inuyasha smirked. "Su—"

"Don't tell me to suit myself or I'm going to step on your foot _really really_ hard!" She warned, cutting him immediately. Her brown pools sparked dangerously at his direction. '_Can't he just answer me directly?.! For once?.!'_

Of course, Inuyasha wasn't to be stopped by a mere threat from her so he said it again. "Suit—"

"I mean it!"

Inuyasha's lips formed a knowing smile—which was also very evil-looking by the way. He opened his mouth slowly, eyes fixed on Kagome just like a predator would to its prey. "Suit _yourself_."

"Argh!.!.! You're so frustrating!.!.!" Kagome exclaimed while she glowered at him with all of her might. When Inuyasha only seemed to be more delighted with her words, she looked away and pouted her lips like a small kid having a tantrum. "To think that I came through all that trouble to get you a thank you gift!" She muttered to herself, crossing her arms over her chest.

Inuyasha's ears twitched a couple of times. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? His expression went from smug to plain wonder. "A what?" He asked hesitantly.

"A thank you gift." Kagome smiled shyly, handing the big paper bag she held to Inuyasha. "Here."

"This is a stuffed toy, right?" Inuyasha looked down at the paper bag he was now holding. "The one you bought in that shop." He remembered the stuffed toy Kagome had bought just a while ago. It was another puppy stuffed toy. Just as big as the white one and it even looked pretty much like that one—except for the color because this one was black instead of white. He took a small peek inside the paper bag. Yup. Definitely black fur.

"You don't like it?" The schoolgirl asked him uneasily.

Inuyasha stared at her blankly for a while. "You gave food to Houjou and you gave me a stuffed toy?" He told her evenly as if mulling things over. '_Am I supposed to feel happy?' _Actually, he thought food was better since it could fill your stomach.

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha's blank expression. "You should be happy!" She told him encouragingly. "A stuffed toy is better because it doesn't disappear. Food only lasts for a few days…" In her opinion, it was better to give things that would not waste away.

But Inuyasha seemed to prefer food than anything else. "You get to eat food though." He said nonchalantly, ignoring Kagome's deadly looks aimed at him.

"Stuffed toy is more special!" She insisted, her eyes sending deadly 'Agree-With-Me-Or-Else' looks at Inuyasha.

"Okay, okay…" Inuyasha said in defeat, feeling her miko aura strengthening. '_She really looks scary at times.' _He thought as he put two more inches between them just to make sure she wouldn't purify him accidentally. "Sheesh… I've never seen someone give a thank you gift as pushy as you." He looked at her thank you gift as if inspecting it for any weird traps or tricks.

"That's because you're ungrateful." She put on a frown as they started climbing the shrine stairs. '_I can't believe I spent half of my allowance savings just for this unappreciative jerk.' _She had expected Inuyasha to be at least a _little_ touched by her action. She knew Inuyasha wouldn't actually jump in joy nor would he say thanks but she still expected a small sign that he appreciated her gift.

Inuyasha opened the paper bag and took the stuffed puppy out from it. He examined it closely, touching the black fur and running his claws to feel its soft and smooth texture. Its round sparkly marble-like eyes stared back at him as if examining him as well. Inuyasha thought it was kind of cute. "… I guess it's okay." He finally said after a long silence. "Since I like puppies…" He added in a small voice. '_At least, Kagome picked this one herself…'_

Kagome couldn't have been happier at that moment. That was the small sign she had been waiting for! "You like puppies?" She questioned, also looking at the puppy she had bought. She really liked the color of the puppy and its eyes looked as if it wanted to talk to you. Then a thought struck her. '_Of course Inuyasha likes them! They are sort of related, right?' _She giggled mentally at the thought, her eyes straying to the furry triangles on top of Inuyasha's snowy white hair.

"Yeah." Inuyasha answered briefly, giving Kagome a weird look when he caught her looking at his ears.

Kagome lowered her eyes to meet his eyes and grinned like a little girl. "Me too." She chirped, petting the head of the puppy Inuyasha was holding at the moment.

x

"No suspicious events happening so far." Inuyasha confirmed, taking a seat in front of his desk as he talked on his cell phone.

"Good then." Kikyou said from the other line. "I guess Hell's Gate is trying to be more careful this time. Still, don't let your guard down."

"Yeah, I know." Inuyasha replied, looking at the black puppy stuffed toy seated on his desk. It was hard not to notice it since it was taking nearly one third of his desk's space. He ran his claws through its fur lightly, enjoying the feel of its fur on his hand. '_Sort of like black silk.' _He thought sleepily. Now sleep sounded like a very good idea to him…

"Inuyasha? Are you still there?"

"Y-Yeah." He managed to answer, unable to believe that he spaced out while talking to _Kikyou_.

That never happened before…

"So do you have anything more to say?" Kikyou asked curiously, as if expecting him to say something more.

"Not really."

"You didn't forget anything?" Inuyasha could detect slight amazement in her voice as she spoke.

"Why?" He inquired, sounding perplexed. He couldn't recall anything that he had missed…

"That's odd," said Kikyou after a moment's silence, sounding amazed again.

"Odd?"

"This is the first time you didn't ask me if you could quit this mission." The Solferis leader pointed out softly. "Does that mean you're starting to like this mission now?" She sounded quite interested to hear Inuyasha's answer to that specific question.

"Why bother to continue asking? You'll never allow me anyway." Kikyou could detect that Inuyasha was scowling by the way he sounded on the phone.

"So about tomorrow, do I need to send a car there?" She asked, changing the topic abruptly.

"No, we'll be coming through my motorbike." Inuyasha replied, taking something out from his drawer. It was a gold necklace with a small oval locket as its pendant. He held the pendant between his fingers and looked at it thoughtfully.

"Inuyasha, if Kagome doesn't like—"

"Actually, she was the one who wanted that." He interrupted gently, turning the locket between his fingers swiftly like some kind of coin but making sure he wouldn't drop it.

"So she likes motorcycles?" Kikyou asked with high interest.

"She didn't like to ride one before but I guess she changed her mind." Inuyasha answered indifferently. He opened the locket carefully, never getting tired of seeing the same two letters engraved inside.

_KH_

There was a brief pause on Kikyou's side before she said her good-bye. "See you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha dropped his mobile phone on his desk and focused his attention again on the necklace. '_I told her I would sell this necklace but why can't I find it in my heart to let this piece of jewelry go?'_

"**I thought you didn't care." Kikyou said in awe, looking shocked at Inuyasha after he had just jumped to save her from being run over by a truck—which had ten wheels and was currently carrying lots of tons.**

**Inuyasha rolled his amber eyes at her, irked by the way she was looking at him. It was like she was telling him, 'See? You do care!' He mentally groaned and erased the thought from his mind. "Do you really think I want to see someone get squashed by a ten-wheeler truck in front of me?.!" He yelled at her. Inuyasha thought it was better to get mad than stay quiet at times like this. He couldn't just let her think that he _actually _cared—because he didn't. **

**But Kikyou seemed to see past his pretense. "You care then." She said simply, sitting on a random bench on the sidewalk. **

**Inuyasha followed but didn't sit beside her. He just stood near her since it was his duty to protect her that day. He cursed his guardian Myouga for volunteering him to be Kikyou's temporary bodyguard for the day. '_Just because she can't go out on her own.' _He scoffed. "No, I just did that because it's my job to protect—"**

"**Here." Kikyou took his hand quickly and placed a golden necklace on it. Then she smiled again. The smile Inuyasha hated so much. **

"**Why are you giving this crap to me?" He asked, glaring at the piece of jewelry as if it was going to kill him somehow. **

"**It's a thank you gift," said Kikyou succinctly and when she saw Inuyasha was going to protest again she added, "Okay. So you don't care. But thanks for saving me anyway." **

**Inuyasha still didn't like the way Kikyou was looking at him because he still thought that she really believed that he truly cared for her. "I only did that because I will get into trouble if your parents found out you died and I didn't do anything." He said in an emphasizing manner.**

**Kikyou didn't seem to hear him or if she did, she didn't want to comment on it anymore. Hands on her lap, she sat in a very refined way, looking very mature and graceful for a sixteen-year-old girl. Being raised in a first class family like the Hijimas, that was to be expected from her. Her family made sure of that. She looked at the cars passing by, her eyes looked serene and contented. "I can't believe we're actually talking..." **

"**Yeah, I can't believe I'm stuck with you either." Inuyasha countered, studying her demeanor through the corner of his eyes. **

"**It's a good change actually. I can talk to you freely. My bodyguards always seemed too cautious around me. It's like I will be breaking into tiny pieces any minute." Kikyou also watched Inuyasha silently from the corner of her eyes, wondering what possible sufferings Inuyasha could have gone through that made him so distant to people. **

"**Well too bad 'cause I'm not applying to baby-sit you." He could feel her watching him and he didn't like the feeling of being watched. Feeling uncomfortable standing near her, he moved to sit on the bench, startling Kikyou with his action.**

**Then she smiled softly. **

"**And I'm not keeping this thing either!" He said stubbornly, remembering that he still had Kikyou's necklace with him.**

**Kikyou shrugged, her eyes returned to watch the people walking by and the cars passing by absentmindedly again. "It's yours now. I don't care what you do with it." She relaxed on the bench, feeling glad that Inuyasha was slowly letting her in. That was what she wanted to believe. If she could have a friend like Inuyasha, she wouldn't be that lonely anymore. **

"**Good because I'll be selling it to get some money." He said scathingly, whirling the necklace's chain around his index finger. "This locket must be worth something."**

**Kikyou didn't say anything. She just kept on smiling.**

"**You love to smile even when you're insulted?.!" Inuyasha didn't get her. She seemed to know nothing else but smile. '_Is she dense or something?' _He wondered to himself, looking at Kikyou in disbelief.**

**Kikyou slowly turned her head and looked into Inuyasha's eyes, the smile had vanished all of a sudden. "Do you want me to cry instead?"**

**Inuyasha fell silent the moment her eyes met his. There was something familiar in her brown eyes. Then he heard himself saying in a low voice, "...no."**

"**I also don't want to." Kikyou looked away from him and resumed to smile once again. **

**Just a while ago, Inuyasha saw something in her eyes but he couldn't describe what he saw exactly. Was it anger? Was it loneliness? Was it sadness? Was it boredom? But he knew that it was familiar because he felt it too.**

**Somehow, at that moment, he had seen past her pretense and realized something. **

**He and Kikyou were alike in one way or another.**

**He placed the necklace in his pocket. "Just tell me if you want to leave already." **

x

"Inuyasha! Wake up already!" Kagome knocked again but there was no sound coming from Inuyasha's room. "I'm coming in, okay?" She turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"He's not here…" She looked around the room but the hanyou was nowhere inside the room. '_Where is he?' _She wondered, taking a closer look at Inuyasha's room. Now that she thought of it, this was the first time she had entered this room ever since Inuyasha moved in their house. '_He's pretty neat for a guy…' _She thought, looking at the fixed bed and the organized desk. She smiled when she found the black stuffed toy she had given to him sitting on the desk. Then she found a glinting necklace neatly resting beside the black puppy.

'_A necklace…?' _She thought with curiosity, taking the necklace to have a closer look at it. '_It's a girl's necklace.' _She observed, seeing the floral design in front of the locket. '_I wonder who owns this locket…'_ She opened it, hoping to find a picture inside. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the letters engraved inside. '_KH?_ _Kagome Higurashi?' _She mentally kicked herself for even considering the thought. '_Yeah right… Dream on, Kagome!' _She told herself but she couldn't stop her heart from speeding up.

"Oi, Kagome!"

Kagome jumped in surprise, quickly returning the necklace where she had seen it. "Oh hi, Inuyasha!" Now she knew she was going to get it. '_I'm doomed!'_

Inuyasha's eyes immediately darted to the necklace lying on his desk then back to Kagome's not-so-innocent face. He decided to let it pass.

Kagome looked startled for a moment. She knew Inuyasha knew but he wasn't bursting into one of his usual tirades of her being so nosy. Now _that_ was weird. She decided it was better if she didn't ask anymore because she might just remind him that he was supposed to be mad at her for entering his room without his permission. "So you took a bath?" She said instead.

Inuyasha looked at himself. He was wearing a white bathrobe and his silvery white hair was dripping wet. He smirked at her. "No, I threw myself in the toilet bowl."

"Eewww. That's gross." Kagome scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Okay, that's enough morning sarcasm," said Inuyasha as he went to his closet to grab some clothes. "So why are you here?"

"I thought we would be leaving by now."

"We will be if you'll just give me a few minutes to dress," answered Inuyasha as he looked back at Kagome arrogantly. "Or if you prefer to stay and watch me, I don't mind." He started to undo the knot on his bathrobe.

Kagome was gone in a snap, the door quickly closing behind her. "Never mind," said Kagome behind the door. "I don't think there's anything worth watching anyway! I'll be in my room if you're ready!"

Inuyasha raised an arched eyebrow, facing the door. '_Really huh?'_

x

"So what made you change your mind?" Inuyasha asked inquisitively, looking over his shoulder to hand Kagome her helmet. They were inside the parking lot of Inuyasha's apartment to get the motorbike that they would use to go to Kikyou's place.

"About this?" She looked down on the motorcycle she was sitting on and took the helmet from Inuyasha but didn't put it on yet.

"You looked pretty scared during the first time." He said over his shoulder, placing his key in the keyhole and starting the engine.

"You're expecting me to say that I changed my mind because you're a great rider, aren't you?" Kagome's chocolate brown eyes watched him cautiously as he made the engine roar louder and louder. She clutched Inuyasha's shirt lightly, preparing herself before Inuyasha started accelerating their vehicle.

He decreased the noise and turned to face Kagome, a conceited smile gracing his lips while a fang poked out from the corner of his mouth. "No," said Inuyasha, looking like a motorbike gangster with his red sports jacket. "I'm expecting you to say you changed your mind because you like being this near to me." He looked suggestively at Kagome, her body was currently very _very_ close to him.

Kagome quickly removed her hands from him and put on a put out look, wishing she could push the hanyou off the motorcycle as a bonus. "That's it! Tell Kikyou to send a car." She planned to jump off Inuyasha's motorcycle if not for the clawed hand holding her.

Inuyasha smiled cockily at her, enjoying the way her eyes looked at him. So brave and deadly. She looked like a deadly assassin from hell when she did that and Inuyasha simply loved the way she looked. "So you admit you're guilty." He challenged her openly, knowing that she didn't turn down a challenge especially if it was a challenge made by him.

"I'm not guilty!" Kagome objected instantly, glaring at Inuyasha's hand that was holding her arm.

"Prove me wrong then." Inuyasha released her arm and waited for her. He was sure that she wouldn't go down now that the challenge was up.

Kagome growled lightly to herself but she accepted the challenge. As if she could turn it down and admit that she really did _like_ being this close him. "Fine." She returned her hands on their previous position and even tightened her hold. "Why do you always get what you want?" She complained to his back as the motorcycle began to gain speed.

"Because I'm charming and irresistible?"

"You never get tired of being an egotistic jerk, do you?" She narrowed her eyes at his back.

"Not for you." He merrily replied as he made a smooth swerve.

"I'm honored."

"You should be."

"Why should I?"

"Exactly."

Kagome's head was starting to ache with the conversation they were having. She gently pulled on Inuyasha's shirt to catch his attention then she said evenly, "We're not making sense already."

Inuyasha tossed a grin over his shoulder. "You figured out too?" It was really fun to play games with Kagome. Noticing that he was still looking behind him, he looked back at the road, making sure that they wouldn't get into an accident just because he was playing around with Kagome.

Kagome didn't know how each of their conversations started and ended. Most of the time, they seemed to change all of a sudden without any of them noticing. Sometimes they would talk seriously and some other time they would talk without any sense at all. This was one of those times when they would just pull each other's leg and try to outwit the other. She wasn't going to let Inuyasha win this one that easily. She quickly came up with a revenge plan. "Perfect!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha spared a look at his charge to show her that he didn't get her.

Kagome grinned triumphantly and answered him again. "Right."

Inuyasha would have rubbed his temple if he wasn't presently driving. "I'll just pretend I can't hear you."

"You're welcome."

Another point for Kagome.

x

"There Kagome… Just focus so you don't end up blowing the bow and arrow." Kaede instructed as she watched Kagome, who was currently holding a bow and arrow and aiming at a target. "Concentrate your miko energy on the arrow. Transfer your power in the arrow and… release!"

Kagome did as she was told. She released the arrow and was delighted when the arrow hit its target, blowing the target with his miko energy. "Finally!" She cried out happily, smiling contentedly. That was the first arrow she managed to shoot with her miko power. The other arrows she tried to shoot blew off before she even released them.

"I think you just need more practice so you don't end up blowing your own weapon." Kaede said gently, nodding approvingly at Kagome's improvement. "We'll continue this tomorrow." She paused and looked at her back to call on the girl that had been watching them for quite some time now. "By the way, this is Hanako. She is also a miko but she is four years older than you. If you want, you can ask for some tips from her. She is good in archery too and she knows a few tricks in sword handling. I bet you'll learn some things from her." The elderly miko advised, smiling at Hanako gently.

The older girl gave out a smile at Kagome, her lively black eyes looking at her with high interest. "I'm Hanako Kashimoto." She bowed her head a little after introducing herself. She was wearing faded blue jeans and a red shirt and her long black hair was tied back into a high ponytail with a white ribbon.

"Kagome Higurashi. Nice to meet you." Kagome also bowed in return and smiled. It was nice that she would have someone else to talk to about her training besides Kaede.

"I'll be leaving the two of you already. I'll see you tomorrow, Kagome." Kaede bade farewell and left the two younger mikos to themselves.

"I didn't notice that you were here," said Kagome honestly, loading her bow with another arrow. "Do you come here often?"

"I came to receive my training too but not every week." Hanako answered, watching Kagome as she practiced. "You're pretty young. When did you start noticing that you were a miko?"

"When a Solferis agent came to my house." She stretched the string some more with her right hand and focused her energy into the arrow.

"I've been a miko for more than a year now," said Hanako as she took a bow and quiver for herself. "But Solferis only spotted me two months ago. I got my training from another miko besides Kaede but she's dead now."

Kagome stopped. "You mean Hell's Gate…?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry to hear that…" Kagome regained her concentration and aimed once again. She needed to be stronger fast. She wouldn't let Hell's Gate get her without a fight. Never.

"That's a pretty tracking device you've got." Hanako commented, noticing the silver bracelet on Kagome's right wrist when Kagome stretched the string of her bow once more.

Kagome lowered her hands, her forehead cringed in befuddlement. "Tracking device?"

"That's a tracking device, right?" Hanako asked, pointing to Kagome's bracelet. "See, I've got one too but yours is prettier." She raised her right wrist and revealed a silver bracelet as well but much simpler than hers.

"A tracking device huh?" Kagome stared at the piece of jewelry around her wrist.

"**Because that's expensive, I want you to wear it always—and I mean don't ever take it off, understood?" **

"**Kagome, actually that bracelet…"**

She wanted to laugh at herself that very instant.

'_Kagome, you're such a fool.'_

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: There! Much shorter than the previous chapter and with a cliffhanger. Okay, that wasn't exactly a good thing… But I bet you'll be thanking me next chapter because I'm going to give a special action-packed chapter next time plus some drama. Imagine if you had to read a cliffhanger from that chapter… So yeah, this is better. Anyway, to those who still haven't experienced submitting a review, why not try it now? Just push a button and type your heart out! Easy, right? (Of course, don't forget to push the submit button after typing the review.)


	11. His Unspoken Promise

A/N: Yay! I updated already! To my constant readers, always thank you for dropping by to read my story. To the new ones, yay! Come and join the fun! Hope you enjoy your stay and thanks for giving my story a shot!

Oh… really evil cliffy huh? Oh well, to make it up I updated early (yes, this is what I call _early_ in my standards) for you guys! Cheers to my ever sturdy computer that never lets me down! Long live the computer I just won from a raffle!

x

Disclaimer: Let's see… Santa Claus still hasn't replied to my e-mail about having Inuyasha as my Christmas gift so… nope.

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 11

_**His Unspoken Promise **_

x

x

x

x

x

_'__I'm a big, gullible idiot!' _She said in her head repeatedly, looking at her raised right arm—more specifically on the silver metal band around her wrist. To her, her bracelet had lost its beauty. The once sparkling star-shaped blue stone that was embedded on it turned dull and worthless. And for the very first time since she had that bracelet, she felt that the metal was cold against her skin—cold and heavy. She allowed herself to drop her arm back to her side and looked at Hanako. "Hanako? Do all mikos under Solferis' protection get tracking devices?" She asked calmly, wanting to know something first before she acted.

Hanako looked down at her own tracking device before she answered. "I'm not sure. Kouga said I need to wear it so in case I get kidnapped, there is still a chance for him to track me down and save me. I'm not supposed to complain but it gets annoying sometimes because he easily knows where I am and he's always tailing me." She turned her head to look at Kagome and asked, "Don't you agree?"

"Completely." Kagome forced herself to smile at Hanako's question. "So your guardian told you about the bracelet being a tracking device?" She had to know. Maybe it wasn't only her and that it was actually a rule for Solferis agents to keep the truth from their charges. If that was the case, she would have understood Inuyasha—wouldn't be feeling this way. Angry, confused, betrayed and hurt.

"Of course! I would have hit him a hundred of times if he didn't tell me about it and he'd let me wear…" The older miko stopped talking when she noticed that Kagome had her head bowed and her hands were fisted tightly, gripping her bow firmly on one hand. "You mean…?"

No. She just couldn't bring herself to answer Hanako's question. If she did, that would mean that she acknowledged Inuyasha's betrayal. She didn't want to believe it because if she did, she knew the hurt she was feeling right now would be doubled. "Oh wait! Did you know that Kikyou has her own archery fields here?" She lifted her head and put on a cheerful face.

Hanako didn't look too convinced but she decided to let Kagome win. If Kagome didn't want to discuss the matter, she wouldn't force her. That was when Kagome's words started to sink in and realization hit her as she stared at her face. "That's it! Now I remember who you look like! Kikyou!" She stepped closer to Kagome looked at her face closely. "You look pretty much like her. Are you somewhat related or something like that?"

Kagome sighed in relief mentally. A change of topic at last! She forced her previous thoughts at the back of her mind and tried to concentrate on the current conversation she was having with Hanako. "Surprising huh? We're not even related but we do look quite the same." She walked towards the table to leave the bow and quiver she had been using to practice. There was no way she could continue practicing now. She knew she'd just end up blasting every arrow before she could even release them. Her concentration was way off at the moment.

"You do resemble her a lot. Same eyes—although your eyes are a little bigger than hers. Your hair is also shorter and a little wavy at the end but you have the same lips and shape of face. Her skin is a little paler than yours and she's a little taller than you too." Hanako observed, watching Kagome's movements with some interest. Her attention, however, was diverted to the door when it suddenly burst open to reveal a youkai.

"Kouga!" Hanako's eyes widened at her protector's sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"Yo!" Kouga greeted with a two-fingered salute, smiling smugly at Hanako with his striking azure eyes. "Came to pick you up, of course!" He walked casually towards Hanako and ran a clawed hand through his ebony hair, which was tied back into a high ponytail. "Jeez. You're taking so long! I thought your training was done an hour ago! Come on, let's go. I still need to look for a certain miko." His eyes suddenly turned to the other person in the room—Kagome. "You must be Kagome…?" He blinked his eyes, unable to believe that she _did_ look so much like their leader, Kikyou Hijima.

Kagome nodded silently. How did he know her name? "You know me?" She asked, looking surprised at Kouga as she walked towards the two.

"Kikyou told me to look for you," answered Kouga lightly, his eyes suddenly becoming enlightened as the miko walked closer. There were some distinguishing features that could tell them apart. '_Besides, her scent is also different from Kikyou's.' _Kouga frowned when he remembered Inuyasha all of a sudden. '_That bastard! He better know the difference between the two of them because if he doesn't…' _His eyes looked into Kagome's eyes for a moment, his heart sympathizing with the girl looking a lot like Kikyou. '_This girl is going to get hurt—one way or another.' _He turned his back to Kagome and grabbed Hanako's hand, making his way towards the exit. "Kikyou said she needs to talk to you about something. She's in her office." He looked over his shoulder and at Kagome's direction. "You know the way there, right?"

"Um…" Kagome smiled sheepishly back at Kouga. "Actually I forgot."

Kouga lightly touched his forehead with his palm but he was smiling.

"Now, now, Kouga, she's just new here…" Hanako tried to help out Kagome, patting Kouga's shoulder lightly.

Kouga heaved out a sigh. "I guess we have no choice but to escort her there, right?" He turned to Kagome and smiled at her. '_If that stinky dog turd dares to hurt Kagome… I'll beat the crap out of him!' _He silently vowed to himself. He didn't know why he had suddenly wanted to take care of the young miko he had just met but he wanted to protect her. Maybe it was the way her eyes looked at that moment when he stared into them. Deep in her brown pools, he clearly saw a tinge of hurt and betrayal that she was trying hard to hide.

He would do anything to wipe the pain away from those eyes.

x

"You wanted to see me?" Kagome greeted with a smile as she closed the door behind her. Kouga and Hanako said they would be going already since they still had matters to attend to. Kagome didn't stop them but she didn't forget to thank the both of them for being so helpful to her.

Kikyou nodded and gestured for Kagome to take the seat in front of her desk. "How was your practice today?" She asked as she continued to browse through some paper works.

"Fine, I guess." Kagome replied with a sigh as she sat herself on the chair Kikyou indicated. "I was able to get it in the end—even though it's just once." She looked at Kikyou and found herself admiring her once more. It seemed like whatever she wore looked good on her. The simple light blue blouse she wore looked stunning on her. Again, the only piece of jewelry she wore was the same wine red crystal stone necklace she saw on her last time. '_Even though they say we look alike, she is much prettier and more graceful than me.' _She thought to herself, looking down on her lap.

Kikyou looked satisfied enough with the answer she got from her. "Inuyasha left quickly after he got you here, am I right?" The Solferis leader questioned smoothly as she finally let go of the paper works she had been holding a while ago. She opened a drawer and took out another pile of paper works. It looked like she never ran out of paper works to juggle.

"Yeah. He said he wanted to go home and rest. Why? Do you want to talk to him about something?" Kagome raised her head to look at Kikyou curiously but found herself staring instead on the stacks of paper that Kikyou was holding in front of her, hiding her face from Kagome's view.

"Nothing important. I would like to ask him a few questions but that could wait tomorrow." Kagome hear Kikyou reply calmly.

Kikyou was right. Kagome also had to wait until tomorrow if she planned to ask Inuyasha about her bracelet. There was nothing else left to do until Inuyasha returned to pick her up. "Can I use the archery fields a bit before lunch?" She asked Kikyou hesitantly, wanting to divert her mind from thinking of Inuyasha.

Kikyou dropped the paper she had been reading and looked at Kagome for a moment as if considering something. "How about we have lunch first?" Kikyou offered, clearing her table carefully. "Then we'll both go to the archery fields. I need to do some unwinding too." She looked at Kagome and waited for her approval. '_Besides, I need to think. Why do I feel like Inuyasha is avoiding me lately?' _The question bothered her—much to her annoyance.

Kagome smiled at Kikyou and nodded in agreement. Perhaps she would be able to forget after all—even just for a while.

x

"Inuyasha, do you know that you're supposed to be home right now? Relaxing on your warm bed and enjoying a free afternoon without any worries."

Inuyasha darted his golden yellow eyes at Miroku and glared at him. "Am I spoiling your day that much, huh?" He flicked the remote control again to find a more interesting show. He got bored in watching Korean movies without subtitles. It was getting tiresome to guess what the characters were trying to say to each other.

"Someone's supposed to come over here but because you decided to bless me with your _almighty _presence, I am stuck with you instead!" Miroku looked at Inuyasha sulkily, taking another swig from his can of beer.

"Let me guess! Your guest is a girl?" Inuyasha was about to do the same only to find out that he had ran out of beer. "Another can, Miroku." He ordered nonchalantly, settling for an old Chinese film where all of the characters seemed to know martial arts and there was a lot of fabric flying here and there whenever the characters jumped in the air. Much to Inuyasha's relief, there were subtitles this time.

"One thing's for sure, she's better company than you," said Miroku with a sigh as he stood up to get another can of beer for Inuyasha. "What the heck are you doing here anyway?.! You're supposed to be watching Kagome, right?" '_Or following Kikyou around.' _He thought to himself but he didn't dare say that aloud in front of Inuyasha. He knew he'd be slicing something and it could be his head if he wasn't careful.

"Keh! Too bad I'm not going anywhere though—bad or good company." He snatched the can from Miroku and opened it with a clawed finger. He took a long sip of beer then placed it on the table in front of the television. "And…"

"And?" Miroku sat back on the couch and looked at Inuyasha expectantly, waiting for him to finish his words.

"I need to have some time away from the girl." Inuyasha took his can of beer but didn't drink it. Did he just pertain to Kagome or Kikyou? Probably both. But there was no particular reason he wanted to get away from Kagome…

"The girl, meaning Kagome?" asked Miroku uncertainly then after some pause he added cautiously, "Or Kikyou…?"

Inuyasha's grip around the can tightened. He glared at the Chinese movie he was trying to watch and pushed the off button in the remote control. "Damn it. Let's grab some food outside, I want some pizza." He tossed the remote control and stood up quickly to head for the door.

"Pizza sounds good." Miroku agreed, seeing that he was left with no choice. It was either agree or risk having your television shattered—not to mention your neck broken. '_He never falls silent when we talk about Kagome. He only shuts up all of a sudden when…' _He took a tentative glance at the hanyou and found him deep in thought, not noticing Miroku's scrutinizing eyes on him. '…_it's Kikyou.'_

x

It was useless. Kagome knew there was no way she could sleep that night. Lying on her side, she brought her right arm in front of her face and stared at the silver metal around her wrist. It was dark in her room but she could make out the shape of the bracelet even without the moon's help. It wasn't like the moon could be of any help anyway. Her eyes went to the direction of her room's tall glass windows and only spotted a thin, curved white line—the only visible sign that the moon was still there. '_I bet it's going to be a new moon tomorrow night.' _She thought, returning her eyes on her bracelet.

Kagome felt her lips curling into a smile—a bitter smile. Again, she felt so stupid. She ran after a piece of jewelry that meant nothing to Inuyasha. She cherished something that existed only to her. She believed too much in Inuyasha.

Why didn't he just tell the truth? Why did he need to hide the truth from her? Didn't he think that she would get hurt if he hid the truth? Didn't he _care_ if she did get hurt? Questions that only Inuyasha could answer bugged Kagome's head over and over again. She really needed to have a talk with him. Unless she got the answers she needed from him, she wouldn't be able to move on. That was for sure.

'_Until now, is it still only duty that binds us together?' _She asked in her mind, feeling her eyes burning with unshed tears. But she would not let even a single drop fall. Inuyasha would never be a worthy reason for her to cry.

Kagome felt her eyes grow heavy all of a sudden. All the thinking she had been doing made her very tired and she willingly gave herself to the clutches of sleep. As she closed her eyes, a tear escaped and trickled down her face.

It was silly to cry because of Inuyasha, Kagome knew that. He was not worthy of her tears—even a single tear—yet she was only human. When the human heart had had enough, it would eventually shatter—no matter how hard you try to stop it. She realized that instant that she needed to cry—even just a single tear. So when morning came, she would be able to face Inuyasha bravely and…

'_Bite his head off.' _Kagome thought sleepily as she fell into sleep's grasp at last.

x

"Jeez, that was the longest and worst miko lesson I ever had." Kagome stated grimly as she walked along one of the magnificent corridors at Kikyou's mansion towards who knows where. Sure, it was just her third lesson but she knew she had screwed it up very very much. She didn't manage to shoot a single arrow. All of the arrows that she had loaded on her bow were destroyed even before she had time to stretch the string some more.

She hung her head low, sighing in depression as she remembered her last training. '_I bet teacher is really disappointed with me.' _She thought with another sigh, looking up to see where her feet had taken her. She was still in the second floor. She had three options, go downstairs, go upstairs or go straight to her room and rest. She preferred the last option since she didn't know much of the mansion anyway and wasn't that keen on touring around right now. She wanted to lie down even just for a while before she went back home. She was tired and she wanted to have a warm, comforting bath.

'_Or I could try the indoor swimming pool—although I don't exactly remember where in the first floor that one is. Or I can—INUYASHA?.!' _Her brown orbs widened at the sight of a white-haired boy with a familiar red jacket she recognized as Inuyasha's pacing towards her direction. '_INUYASHA?.?.?' _She blinked her eyes, unable to believe that it was really him walking up to her. When she did, he was gone. She looked around and searched for him but he was nowhere to be found. The corridor was empty except for her.

Kagome tucked a loose strand of hair behind her left ear and heaved out a sigh. '_Now I'm seeing things.' _She resumed pacing and decided that she really needed to have that bath. She turned her face towards the window across the hall and paused to stare at the sun. It was still bright but she knew it wouldn't be long before it started its descent. That only meant that it wasn't going to be long before Inuyasha arrived. She would finally see him—and ask him about her bracelet.

'_Just a little more waiting…' _

She turned to head for her room only to find herself staring into curious golden yellow eyes—_familiar_ golden yellow eyes.

"Inuyasha…?" His name escaped her lips in a soft, questioning way. She batted her eyelids once and looked confused when she still found him staring down at her. It was a surprise her personal space invasion alert wasn't going berserk with the current distance Inuyasha had put between them—which was pretty pretty small in her opinion.

"You don't look exactly happy to see me." Inuyasha commented as he stepped back, wearing a frown. Something in Kagome's eyes told him that something was wrong. A part of him was curious to know what exactly that thing was.

"You don't look happy to see me either," stated Kagome edgily, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Fair enough." Inuyasha replied nonchalantly then he turned his back to Kagome and walked away. "Get ready. We'll leave after I talk to Kikyou." He added without looking back at her. '_Even though I'm trying to avoid her, I can't help but see her since I am working for her…' _He let out a soft sigh and looked at the sun. It was already late in the afternoon. He cursed under his breath and walked faster. '_Damn it. All this thinking is making me move slower. I'm going to be late if I don't hurry up.' _His thoughts were disrupted when he heard someone call his name. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, looking expectantly at Kagome.

"We need to talk." Kagome's eyes looked seriously into Inuyasha's eyes as she spoke.

Inuyasha could clearly see that she wanted a _serious _talk. By the look in her eyes, it was going to be a _long _one too. He could grant her request but it had to be later—when they got home. After all, he also needed to tell her something later. '_I'm stuck with her so she'll see me anyway.' _He chanced another fleeting look at the window and mouthed two words before he went on his way. "Later, Kagome."

"But—"

"Later." Inuyasha repeated before he disappeared around the corner.

Kagome groaned in frustration. Why was it that he always got what he wanted?.! She balled her fists and stomped her way to her room, planning to bathe a very long time to make Inuyasha wait. '_Later then.' _She thought in irritation as the door of her room came into view.

x

Kikyou's eyes widened for a brief instant at the sight of Inuyasha at her door then she smiled a little. "You came huh…" She looked back at the paper she had been writing on. "I thought you would leave again without reporting to me." She didn't need to lift her head to know that Inuyasha had walked forward and was now standing in front of her desk.

"I was in a hurry yesterday." Inuyasha reasoned out, avoiding Kikyou's gaze even though he knew that her eyes weren't actually looking at him.

Kikyou didn't say anything for a while and she only continued writing.

Inuyasha was getting uncomfortable with the silence between the two of them. Sure he and Kikyou fell silent once in a while but the current hush between them was different. It was unsettling—almost like nagging him.

Her speechlessness at that time made him feel guilty. It was like she was quietly asking him why he had been avoiding her. It was a good thing she didn't ask him verbally because if she did, he didn't know what answer he would give her. He needed space? Space from what? He needed to settle his feelings? Settle what feelings? He needed to forget her? Why? Because it would be better? Better for who? Him? Her? The longer he thought about it, the more questions arose in his head—questions that he didn't know how to answer as well.

He hated questions that were unanswerable so to escape them he broke the silence. "There is not much to report. No suspicious vehicles tailing us on our way here yesterday." He paused, giving Kikyou some time to ask questions but she remained quiet. "It's dangerous today so we'll be leaving now." He turned on his heels and headed for the door. He knew Kikyou understood his words well.

Just as Inuyasha's hand made contact with the doorknob, he heard Kikyou's soft voice say, "Don't push yourself too much today, Inuyasha." She failed to hide the concern and worry in her voice.

A small smile tugged on Inuyasha's lips but when he turned to look back at Kikyou, it was already a haughty smirk. "Don't worry. Hanyou or not, I'm still one of the top agents of Solferis." He turned the knob and pulled the door open.

Before Inuyasha could step out of Kikyou's office, she spoke again. "Call for backup when you need one." She looked firmly at Inuyasha as she spoke. She knew Inuyasha's strength and abilities very well. Even without his hanyou strength and senses, he could still do his job well but she wanted to be extra cautious about this. She trusted Inuyasha but in their situation, there was always a possibility that they could be in danger and she didn't want to endanger Kagome _and_ Inuyasha's lives. Inuyasha's life was going to be in as much danger as Kagome's if they encountered Hell's Gate today—or rather tonight.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not that proud to screw up my job. I'll call Miroku." Inuyasha told her with another smirk and then left. '_I never failed on any duty assigned to me. I won't fail this one.' _He didn't plan to. He didn't want to.

"**Don't push yourself too much today, Inuyasha." **

He smiled to himself as he tracked down Kagome's scent.

x

Inuyasha stopped in front of Kagome's door and held the knob instantly, ready to turn it. But he suddenly caught himself during the last second and lifted his clawed hand from the doorknob. Instead, he closed his hand and rapped it against Kagome's door twice. "Kagome, we're going."

No answer came.

Was it possible that she wasn't there? Her scent trail had led him here—but of course her room was _supposed_ to smell like her. Only one way to find out then… He returned his hand on the doorknob. He actually acted _nice _that time that he knocked and she was _not _there? '_It's her loss not mine.' _Inuyasha shrugged mentally and opened the door.

Inuyasha didn't spot Kagome inside the room. She was not sleeping in the bed, she was not sitting on the chair and she was—

"That insensitive bastard!"

In the bathroom.

Inuyasha's eyes quickly went to the bathroom's direction.

"One of these days, I'll really purify him!"

Inuyasha couldn't help the grin that graced his face. '_Yup. Definitely Kagome.' _Remembering that he didn't have much time left to dally, he walked closer to the bathroom but didn't make any gesture to touch the door—all the more open it. He wasn't like Miroku.

"Oi, come out already!" He called out, grumbling mentally about women's inexplicable addiction to very long baths.

"Inuyasha?" came Kagome's surprised reply. How come she didn't hear him enter her room? '_Must be too engrossed in my thoughts.' _She thought but didn't make any move to stand up and leave the bathtub.

"Come out. I'm in a hurry." The miko heard the hanyou say, quickly noticing the irritation by the tone of his voice. Too bad she planned to annoy him some more.

'_And now he's in a hurry?.!' _Kagome shot a glare at the bathroom's door, knowing that Inuyasha was standing in front of it that very instant. "But I'm not yet done." She said in her sweetest and most innocent voice as a smirk spread across her lips. '_This is payback for saying 'later'—twice!' _

Inuyasha resisted the urge to claw the door that stood in front of him. Of all the chances, Kagome chose to play with him at a time like this. She was slowly but effectively getting on his nerves. "Finish it now. We have to leave!" He barked commandingly. He told himself that if she wasn't going out within five counts, he was going to tear the blasted door apart and haul her out himself—finished or not.

Meaning naked or not—even if she screamed her ass out.

"We do?" Kagome ignored the tone of his voice and continued to enjoy soaking—not to mention vexing a certain hanyou.

One.

"Kagome!" This was getting more and more frustrating. Why again did he have to be stuck with such an inconsiderate, annoying bitch like her?

"Yes?" This was getting more and more fun!

Two.

"Just fucking get out of there! NOW!" His claws were tensing. He could feel the wood under his claws. The sound of wood splintering was overwhelming his ears. Inuyasha _badly _wanted to destroy something.

"As in now?" She was looking intently at the plug now. Should she pull it now? Another smirk lit her face as she thought of Inuyasha. '_Later.'_

Three.

"Yes, _now_." Wow! Inuyasha couldn't believe it! He could be _this _patient? That was new…

"What if I don't want to?" Kagome had an idea of what would happen but just for the fun of asking she asked him. After all, that meant more time for her to stay in the tub.

Four.

"You want to know?" His voice was promising trouble as he readied his claws for the job at hand. Just one more and the cursed door would be smithereens.

Kagome sighed in surrender. That was the end of their game. "I think not." She got out of the bathtub and pulled the plug. Now, to dry herself.

'_At fucking last!' _He sighed in relief as the sound of water going down the drain reached his ears. "Hurry up! We need to get home before sundown." He looked at the window of Kagome's room and relaxed. They could still make it in time—with about half an hour to spare.

'_Why is he so eager to go home?' _She wondered in her mind as she put her clothes on.

"Aren't you done yet?" Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently.

She adjusted her shirt a little then checked herself on the mirror. Satisfied with her look, she got the hair drier from one of the drawers, plugged it and started drying her hair in front of the mirror. "Just a few more—Inuyasha!" She glowered at the hanyou's reflection on the mirror.

Inuyasha was standing _inside_ the bathroom, looking exasperated with Kagome's antics. "Stop griping! You're not naked, okay?.!" He made sure of that before he barged in—well not completely sure but there was the faint sound of clothes rustling. And if he was mistaken… Oops?

Kagome still didn't look reassured but she continued to dry her wet hair. "The door was closed for a reason. I'm not yet done!" She decided to ignore him but Inuyasha wouldn't let her.

The hanyou yanked the hair blower away from Kagome and unplugged it. "Of course you are." He told her, looking at her with authority. He grabbed her hand and began pulling her—like he always did.

Kagome was left with no choice but follow him. Before she was completely dragged out of her room, she managed to get her backpack and shot a pissed off look at the hanyou as they headed for the stairs. "One of these days I'll really—"

"Purify me. Yeah, I know." Inuyasha cut in, releasing her hand from his grip and throwing a smirk over his shoulder. "Come on, little miko."

"Fine, jerk." Kagome pushed her lower lip forward as she followed Inuyasha down the stairs.

Kagome had completely forgotten that she had wanted to talk to Inuyasha. It wasn't until she took the helmet that Inuyasha was holding out to her that she remembered, seeing the metal band on her wrist. She held the helmet securely then looked at Inuyasha seriously. "Inuyasha, we need to talk."

"Later," said Inuyasha as he swung his leg over the motorcycle's black seat and sat himself. "Hop on. We'll talk when we reach your house." He added as he retrieved the key from his pocket and placed it in the keyhole. He could see that Kagome wanted that talk—whatever it was about—badly. "I also want to talk to you about something."

"Then why not talk now?" Kagome didn't understand Inuyasha's purpose for delaying their talk so many times. '_He also said he wanted to tell me something, right?' _She had done more than enough waiting. She had to know the truth _now_.

Not later.

"Tell me. Is it true that this bracelet's a tracking device?" Her chocolate brown eyes didn't leave Inuyasha's eyes as she waited for his answer. The way his eyes widened for a while was enough answer for her. He was guilty.

"How did you—"

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" She interrupted, her anger stirring once more. After all of the things they had been through. He still didn't trust her? Ironically, it was not Kagome that was having trust issues in the arrangement she had with Inuyasha. Kagome had long ago proven to herself that she did trust Inuyasha. It was just wrong of her to also think that Inuyasha also trusted her. "Why did you have to do that?.!" The hurt was reflected in her eyes as the words escaped her lips.

"Do what?" Inuyasha shifted his eyes and looked at the side, unable to bear the sight of Kagome's hurt-filled eyes. Guilt was slowly surfacing and he had no means to stop it.

"Make it appear like it was something else." Kagome clenched her fists, feeling her heart tighten painfully inside her chest. '_Make me believe that you actually wanted me as a friend.' _She really thought it was possible but she had been expecting too much. Now she had to suffer the consequences.

Inuyasha turned his face to look into Kagome's eyes. "I did that to protect you." It was the truth. He wanted to protect her but maybe he was wrong to do that? Maybe he was not protecting her when he hid the truth from her?

"To protect me?.!" There was a hint of mocking laugh in her voice. '_You hurt me!' _She wanted to throw at him but instead the words that went out were, "How will that protect me?.!"

He could sense that Kagome was very angry with him but he needed to get them home. That was his priority at the moment. "Kagome, we really need to go. Can't we just finish this later?" He made a move to grab her hand but she stepped back to avoid his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me." She was determined to hear all of Inuyasha's explanation. That was her priority.

Inuyasha growled inwardly but decided to follow Kagome's demands. He didn't have time to argue with her anymore. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd take it off right away! You're stubborn and you don't want the fact that I'm following you around. What more if you knew that I could track you down wherever you went!" He looked at her directly while he spoke. Throughout his speech, he saw her eyes spark with intensified anger but he didn't dare pause. She wanted the truth so he was going to give her the truth—to finish this and move on. "Now get on the motorcycle, Kagome!" He added when Kagome didn't speak for a while.

To Inuyasha's surprise, she quietly did as she was told—with her head hanging low and her bangs covering her eyes. Now that she was seated behind Inuyasha, she showed the bracelet to him and said monotonously, "I know the truth now. Did I take the bracelet off?" She waited for a few seconds then she withdrew her arm and looked down at her helmet, her eyes looked tired and gloomy. Her anger seemed to dissipate, only traces remained in her eyes. "Please don't act like you know me." She said softly like a tired murmur. "Don't try to talk to me for a while." Then she put her helmet on.

Inuyasha didn't plan to. He hated to admit it—and wouldn't dare say it to her—but she was right. He did act like he knew her and he felt angry with himself for doing so. He despised people who acted like they knew him when they apparently didn't know anything and then he found himself to be like one of them? He started the engine and they were off.

Inuyasha realized that she was right about one more thing. He really didn't know her. He thought by now he knew some things about her but he was proven wrong. What did he really know about her? Did he really know _anything_ about her? '_So what if I don't know anything about her?.! I don't WANT to know anything about her anyway!' _He thought angrily, throwing his thoughts away. He had more important things to think about. Now that their extra time was gone, they needed to hurry. If Hell's Gate chose to ambush them that day…

It wasn't that he couldn't protect her. Of course he could but there was still a doubt—although he wouldn't say it aloud—that he could fail. It was a doubt that he never even spent a second of thought when he was hanyou. But whenever he turned human, it was a thought that would always bother him. '_But even as a human, my reflexes are not ordinary. I mustn't worry too much.' _He thought as they sped farther and farther away from Kikyou's mansion.

Inuyasha looked at the sun's direction. It was beginning to descend slowly to the horizon. It looked like they could make it in time but Inuyasha wanted to take extra precautions. He pulled out the earpiece that was currently connected to his phone, took his phone out from his pocket and pressed the speed dial for Miroku's number.

"Miroku, we got delayed. If ever we get into trouble, be ready for backup when I call you." Inuyasha instructed as his eyes kept focused on the winding road.

"Got it," said Miroku compliantly on the other side of the line. "Hm… I wonder if you were this careful with your previous charge…" He teased and sounded amused at the same time.

"Didn't have time to be careful with her. The father was _too careful_, remember?" Inuyasha frowned as he remembered his previous charge's father. He dismissed the thought and returned to Miroku. "Hopefully, I won't call you later. Bye." He increased their speed, glancing at the side mirror to see if he could chance a look at Kagome—that was to see what she was doing.

Kagome wasn't doing anything—except for breathing and staring at the road ahead of them. What was she supposed to do anyway? She was sitting at the back of a _moving_ motorcycle. She wanted to ask Inuyasha why he had told Miroku to prepare backup. Were they in some kind of trouble? '_Inuyasha said we were delayed. Delayed because we talked?' _That meant it was her fault, right? She wanted to ask him but she didn't have the guts to break the ice between them—not after their talk. They needed some silence—or maybe _she_ needed some silence to think.

Finally, they reached the city road. They had finished half of their journey. Inuyasha raised his guard. Any moment now, he would be turning human. He didn't know exactly how much time he had left since the tall buildings on both sides of the road were blocking his view. He could already imagine the reaction on Kagome's face when she saw Inuyasha's hair turning black like hers. '_I bet she'll freak out.' _He smirked at the thought but the smirk didn't last long when he remembered that they were still in a middle of an argument. '_Damn, why do we always pick up a fight anyway?'_

_Bang! _

"What the—?.!" Inuyasha looked at his side mirror to see a red car behind them and someone was peeking from its window—with a gun.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome was also looking behind them and knew at once that Hell's Gate had found them. She tightened her hold on Inuyasha's waist.

His motorcycle began to shake. "Shit." The bullet had punctured the rear wheel. He quickly maneuvered it to the side, managing to turn around a narrow corner before it finally pulled to a stop. They had no choice but to run on foot from there. At least the car wouldn't be able to fit so those kidnappers had to run on foot too. He hurriedly took Kagome's hand and began running. As he ran, he fumbled for his mobile phone and called Miroku. "Ambush!" That was all he said then he hung up.

That was when Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat.

_'Damn it. Not now!' _He thought as he continued to run, his hand firmly grasping Kagome's making sure she wasn't falling behind. But he had no choice, he _was_ turning human as he ran.

"Whoa!" Kagome suddenly halted, staring at Inuyasha in horror. "What happened to you?.!" She looked at him from head to foot but quickly returned her gaze at his face. She noticed that his dog ears and fangs were gone, his eyes were now grayish black—and to her utter surprise, his hair had turned black!

Inuyasha smacked his clawless hand against his forehead and rolled his eyes. Just as he thought, she had freaked out. He swiftly took Kagome's hand once more and said without a pause or whatsoever, "I turned human. Long story, I'll tell you when we get out of here. Now, let's run." He pulled his gun from the back of his pants and started to run again, leaving Kagome no choice but do the same.

Kagome knew it was no time indeed to argue—not even talk—so she only nodded and continued running as well. However, as she ran, she couldn't help but look at Inuyasha with wonder. _'What is going on?.!' _

Inuyasha turned around another corner. He wasn't sure if they had managed to follow them because he couldn't hear them. His hearing ability had declined because he was human now. He continued to run though, seeing that they were nearing another main road. Maybe he could get another motorcycle there or a cab or anything that had wheels.

"Inuyasha?"

He turned to look back at Kagome while he ran. "Hm?"

She held Inuyasha's hand a little tighter as if afraid that he would suddenly let go and leave her behind. "We can get out of here alive, right?"

Inuyasha's eyes softened at the way Kagome looked at him. She looked really scared and her only hope of surviving lay on his hands. He smiled a little. "Don't worry, we will." He told her, hoping that it would reassure her. Actually, he had been doubting already but when he saw Kagome's eyes, he realized that he wasn't supposed to doubt. Kagome was doubting enough for both of them. It was his role to be strong for both of them. _'I promise.' _

As they stepped out to the main road, his eyes quickly searched for a possible escape vehicle. Across the road, there was a man chatting on the phone while he sat on his motorcycle. _'Perfect.' _He pulled Kagome after him and prepared to cross the road.

But before they could cross, there was a loud screeching sound and the red car was speeding towards them. Inuyasha hastily turned around and was about to run back to the alley they had come from.

_Bang! _

"No!.!.!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the sight of two men standing in front of them, coming from the path they just took a while ago. Then he was lying on the ground due to the impact of the gun's blow. He could feel the bullet piercing through his left shoulder, blood gradually oozing from the wound. Pain engulfed his whole body and he could feel his consciousness slipping.

"Inuyasha!"

But he held tight to his consciousness when he heard Kagome scream and he felt Kagome's hand being torn away from his grasp. He wasn't supposed to be lying on the floor when Kagome was being dragged away. He gripped his gun and gathered his strength to stand up again only to be pushed back effectively by a foot kicked on his head, making his cheek touch the cold floor. "Oh no you don't!" The foot pressed even harder, rubbing Inuyasha's cheek on the floor and making him growl in anger.

The red car screeched into a stop in front of them and the door burst open. Inuyasha couldn't see what they had done to Kagome but when he heard her gasp in pain, he knew that they had hit her and that angered him even more.

"Hurry!" A gruff voice coming from inside the car said hastily.

The foot against his head was gone and the car door immediately closed. Inuyasha wasted no time to get to his feet and raised his gun to try and shoot the car but it was too late. There was no way that he was going to hit them and he could even hit a civilian.

Inuyasha held his handgun tighter as he crossed the road. He couldn't feel the pain from his wound. He couldn't hear the angry protest of the owner of the motorcycle he just grabbed. His mind was set only on one thing as he sped across the road in full speed.

He promised Kagome and he had to keep that promise.

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Ooops. My evil twin possessed me so… Well at least I've updated, right? Um….right? Review and tell me that I'm right, okay?

P. S. Don't plan to kill me yet. Or you won't get the next chapter. On the lighter side, I was wondering how Inuyasha manages to use a flip top cell phone. You see, his ear is on top of his head… But I think he doesn't really need to have the speaker over his ear to hear it since he is_ hanyou_. But I had a laugh when I imagined Inuyasha using the phone—I don't know why...  



	12. Acceptance

A/N: I'm glad that I'm still not dead. Fortunately, you guys decided not to assassinate me yet. Although, I'm half-dying due to school pressure, I have managed! Hah! I passed my exams (especially Org Chem! Phew!) and I'm so glad! I have two weeks free but I'm going to take driving lessons (yeah, pretty late huh?) so I won't be that free. But still, I have updated! Sorry if I'm sooooo late in updating once again.

About Kouga falling for Kagome that fast, actually he still doesn't know that he loves her already. He just knows that he's attracted to her, um, let's just say… _sad aura_. I will assure you one thing, Kouga isn't feeling lust towards Kagome. As chapters develop, Kouga and Kagome will interact more (spoiler! spoiler!) and that will make Kouga realize his feelings for Kagome. Character development to follow, don't worry. It's not impossible since some people do fall in love right away. Haven't you heard of love at first sight? It's kind of cheesy for some people (for me too actually) but they do happen.

Thanks for all the comments and the compliments! They mean so much to me. Makes me feel guilty that I kept you hanging with a nasty cliffie. Hehehe…

x

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine however this story is _mine_. Clear?

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 12

_**Acceptance**_

x

x

x

x

x

The moment they had gotten Kagome inside the car, they didn't give her a chance to say a word. A fist quickly came in contact with her stomach, making her lose her consciousness.

"What a weak bitch! Can't even put up a fight!" The human-looking youkai who delivered the punch said mockingly, looking scornfully at the miko who was sitting unconscious at his left side.

"Heh. That's because you didn't give her a chance, Matsuda." Another youkai seated on the front passenger seat commented, a cunning smirk playing on his lips. "She's pretty young for a miko, don't you think?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at Matsuda as if to ask him if he was really sure that she was a miko.

"You can never tell by the way they look," said Matsuda while he gave Kagome an examining look, "but this one is definitely a miko. I can sense her aura. Besides, Kagura has informed us about this one. She's the youngest in our target list—not to mention the youngest we've caught so far."

"Heh… Too bad she's got a loser punk as her protector." The other youkai scoffed, remembering the measly human he had kicked just a few moments ago. "I bet he's dead already." He muttered as a side comment, taking out a mobile phone from one of the car's compartments. While waiting for the other side to pick up, he stared outside the car's window and watched the city lights languidly as they passed by.

"Anything good to report?"

The youkai smirked in reply then looked back at the sleeping miko at the back seat of the car. "Tell Kagura that we've caught her. The youngest miko of all. We're heading there right now."

x

'_They won't get away from me!' _Inuyasha thought, his eyes focused on the road with resolution, making sure he wouldn't miss the red car he was looking for. His mind was racing with thoughts. He would reach them soon. He would be able to save her. He _had_ to save her. He continued to take the main road, following the route the red car had taken according to the tracking device on Kagome's bracelet. Again, he thanked her mentally for not taking the bracelet off even after what had happened.

That was one of the main reasons why Inuyasha was so determined to get Kagome back. He knew he acted unreasonably towards her and he didn't want things to end like that between them. '_She can't die like this!' _He wouldn't hear the end of it from his conscience if he didn't get her back safely—and his conscience was actually starting its job at the very moment.

A sudden vibration coming from his cell phone disrupted Inuyasha's thoughts. He clicked a button to answer it while struggling to keep the balance on his motorbike since he was only human now. Fortunately, he managed to put the earpiece on his left ear while he drove the vehicle without losing his balance. "What the hell's taking you so damn long!.?.!" He immediately barked, not giving the caller a chance to say even a single syllable. "They got Kagome! I'm going after them!"

"Inuyasha! Calm down!" Miroku quickly returned, sensing the urgency in Inuyasha's voice. At the back of his mind, he wondered if it was just normal for Inuyasha to be this determined in this protect-the-miko mission. It was only his second protection mission and his first lasted only a few days so he didn't have much to compare. But he was sure of one thing, Inuyasha was determined to get Kagome back.

Inuyasha growled at Miroku's words. "Calm down?.!" He said in a mocking tone while he maintained his fast speed. "You get your ass here right now! Maybe then I can fucking calm down!" He winced a little when he exerted so much force on the handles. It was only then that he remembered that he had been shot. Slowly, the pain from the wound he had on his left shoulder was getting harder and harder to ignore. Why was it that he had to be human that night?

Miroku wasn't going to take Inuyasha's taunts meekly and let him get away easily. "We're on our way!" He countered, feeling himself get angry too. "Stop acting so unprofessional!" He had said it before he could stop himself. When the words were out, he didn't regret that he had said that to Inuyasha. With the way Inuyasha was acting, he knew it was the truth.

But Inuyasha knew just how to retaliate. "Don't lecture me about professionalism! You were fucking late!" He wanted to blame someone. He wanted to put the blame on _someone else_ but the voice that kept nagging him still insisted that it was his fault. In his mind, Kagome's voice kept playing with the same vulnerable and hesitant tone she had used before.

**She held Inuyasha's hand a little tighter as if afraid that he would suddenly let go and leave her behind. "We can get out of here alive, right?" **

In times like those, Inuyasha knew that he had to be there for her. She needed someone to protect her and he knew she was counting on him to do just that. Even though they had those daily bickering routines…

Miroku decided it wasn't wise to match Inuyasha's temper with his own temper. He sighed mentally and tried to talk to Inuyasha calmly. "We're doing our best to get there immediately. The moment we got Kagome's program from the base we already he—"

But Inuyasha wasn't in the mood to listen. He needed to find Kagome soon. "Shut up! Just do your damn job and back me up! If you can reach her faster then that's better!" With that said, he hung up. Using his good arm to balance the motorcycle, he opened Kagome's tracking program one more time just to make sure he was still taking the right path. He felt a little relieved when the red dot got closer. He was going to reach them soon.

He grimaced a bit when another jolt of pain came from his left shoulder. It was a good thing the bullet didn't get stuck inside his shoulder and only his flesh was damaged. His bone was slightly grazed but fortunately it didn't crack. He could endure some pain for tonight. By tomorrow, he would be healed anyway—and hopefully he would also still have a miko to protect.

'_Kagome, hang in there! Don't you dare die on me!' _He thought as he increased the speed some more, the pain on his shoulder dulling a little. '_Hell, I'll even admit to you that I'm a selfish, know-it-all bastard for not telling you the truth! Just don't die like this!' _

He really meant that. As long as he got to Kagome in time, he would mean those words.

x

Kagura smirked in victory at the good news she had heard. Pushing the loudspeaker button down, she asked her youkai underling if the miko they caught was wearing any kind of jewelry. When the youkai responded that she had a bracelet, she instructed him to take it off. '_Another tracking device, I presume…' _She thought, mentally giving Solferis a pat on the back for at least trying.

Silence for a while then Kagura heard gasps of surprise and a cry of someone who suddenly got hurt. "What's the matter?.!" She asked urgently, listening carefully for any more sounds.

"W-We cannot touch her!" came the startled reply of the youkai from the other side of the line.

"What the hell?.! You mean she erected a barrier?" She asked quickly, red eyes sparkling with interest. A miko that had the ability to erect a barrier meant that she had strong spiritual powers—plus lots of training. But how was that possible for a miko that was as young as her?

Kagura was even more surprised when the youkai added while stuttering in disbelief, "B-But she's unconscious! How can she do that?" Kagura had heard enough. The miko was definitely a great catch. '_She's unconscious yet she can protect herself?' _She had never heard of a case like that before. There was something very intriguing in this miko and she wouldn't let her escape their grasp anymore. "Bring the girl here immediately!"

x

The red car was now visible to Inuyasha. They were now in an isolated road, with only a few cars passing by. His hands tingled with anticipation as he got even closer. Surprisingly, they still didn't notice that he was following them. '_What kind of idiots are these people?.! They still haven't sensed that I'm tailing them!' _He mentally scoffed at them, his long ebony hair flying freely behind him because of his lack of helmet. Luckily, traffic enforcers were not to be seen around the vicinity.

The car turned right and went to an even more deserted road.

'_Perfect.' _With his left hand steadying his motorbike, he took his gun out and waited until he got a clear shot of the car's wheels. Pain on his left shoulder began to surge again as he balanced the vehicle with his injured arm but he ignored it. Instead, he concentrated on the right rear wheel he was targeting and readied his gun to shoot.

However, one of the youkais inside the car had already noticed him aiming a gun at them. Instantaneously, he also aimed a gun right at Inuyasha and shot a bullet straight at him.

Cursing inwardly, Inuyasha managed to maneuver the motorcycle out of the bullet's path with his left shoulder complaining terribly due to all the pressure he'd been exerting on it. However, he had no time to think about his injury so while he dodged the bullet he also aimed for the youkai and shot him. The bullet went straight to the youkai's head, killing him instantly.

Another youkai popped his head out of the window and tried to shoot Inuyasha just like the previous one.

Again, Inuyasha dodged it then he aimed for the right rear wheel of the red car. A loud popping sound told Inuyasha that he had hit his target, meaning he still hadn't lost his touch with the gun. The car began to decrease its speed and the driver had no choice but to step on the brake.

Everything seemed to happen in fast forward after that.

There were two youkais left who guarded Kagome. They quickly got out of the car, both looking menacing and armed. As Inuyasha began to pull to a stop, the youkais began shooting at him furiously. Inuyasha stepped on the brake pedal, making the motorcycle halt, and shot two bullets in rapid succession. One immediately killed the youkai that was driving the car and the other bullet he aimed to disarm the second youkai.

"Don't move!" Inuyasha warned, his gun pointing straight at the weaponless youkai in front of him. His eyes did not leave the youkai's form as he alighted from his silver motorbike. "Where the hell is your leader?" He demanded, his finger close to the trigger in case the youkai tried to pull anything.

"Heh. As if I'll tell a weak human like you." He spat airily, his hands leisurely resting on his sides.

"This weak human holds your life right now, bastard." Inuyasha told him haughtily, looking darkly at him. "Now answer me. Where is your stinking boss hid—" Inuyasha quickly pulled the trigger and shot him. A dull thud followed, the youkai's body sprawled on the floor—dead. He clicked his tongue in disapproval then deposited his gun at the back of his pants. "I told you not to move, insolent fool." He didn't spare even a glance at the dead body as he walked past and towards the car. Opening the back door, his heart was flooded with relief when he found her.

"Kagome! Oi! Wake up!" He gently shook her by her shoulder, trying to get her to open her eyes.

It didn't take long for Kagome's eyes to cringe then slowly open. Her eyes quickly went to where the voice was coming from. When Inuyasha's face met her eyes, tears welled in her eyes. "Inuyasha…" She murmured his name as if it was too good to be true. Sleep still seemed to be hanging in her brown orbs as she looked back at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's eyes sparked with relief when she had opened her eyes. She was safe now. He got to her in time. "Kagome! Tell me, are you—" His words were cut short when Kagome suddenly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

A relieved smile found its way on Kagome's lips as she said his name once again. "Inuyasha!" This time, she knew it was true. Inuyasha truly had come to save her. It wasn't a mere fragment of her hopeful imagination. The warmth of his body against her cold one was real. She was safe now. As long as Inuyasha was with her, she knew she was safe.

"…okay?" Inuyasha looked tentatively at the miko who was hugging him, his cheeks slightly blushing at her sudden gesture. That very instant he didn't know what to do and felt very stupid for freezing like an innocent kid. Then he realized that maybe he should move his arms and hug her back—only to comfort her, of course.

When he was about to do just that though, that was exactly the time Kagome chose to pull away and look at him with eyes full of mixed emotions of fear, relief, happiness and gratitude. "I thought I was going to die already!"

The way she had said it made Inuyasha roll his eyes mentally. It was like she had simply said, 'Woah! What an exciting roller coaster ride! I thought I was going to scream my head off!'

Kagome's eyes were abruptly distracted away from Inuyasha's face when she caught sight of his arms that were suspended in midair, in the act of hugging her back. "Um… what are you doing?" She asked curiously, not having a clue of what Inuyasha was supposed to be doing.

"Keh!" He quickly dropped his arms back to his sides, his cheeks slightly turning pink in embarrassment. "I was only going to pry your arms off me since you can't seem to get your hands off me." He smirked at her, arrogance returning as his embarrassment faded away.

"Well excuse me!" Kagome quickly reacted, making sure her hands were not touching him. "I was only expressing my relief that you had come!"

"You're welcome." Inuyasha said wryly in reply, flashing a quick—obviously fake—smile towards her. "Now let's get going because I don't really want to be here when the police comes." He cast a glance towards his left, where the driver was lying motionless and dead.

Kagome noticed Inuyasha's discomfort and was more than willing to agree. She also didn't think it was a great idea to stay around here. "Right." She mumbled her assent as she prepared to step out of the car. But before she stepped out, she couldn't help the nagging feeling inside her to look at her right. She remembered that a youkai was seating beside her before she blacked out. '_What had happened to him?' _She wondered as she turned her head slowly, unsure of what she would see. She could feel someone was still seated beside her—and most probably he was dead already.

"Stop."

Inuyasha's abrupt command brought Kagome's attention back to him. "Huh?" She wasn't exactly sure why Inuyasha had stopped her.

"Trust me, you wouldn't like to see something like that." Inuyasha simply replied, moving aside to give room for her when she stepped out. A bloody head with a disturbing hole in his forehead, his eyes open wide in utmost horror. Inuyasha didn't want to add another frightening image that would haunt Kagome in her sleep. He knew that today's events were more than enough. She might act all tough but he knew that deep inside, her mind was still rattled and lost. He could tell by the way she held him a while ago.

Kagome nodded silently, following Inuyasha's advice without any more questions. She remained silent until they reached the motorcycle Inuyasha had _borrowed_. '_Will this always happen?' _She wondered worriedly, doubting if she could undergo that kind of situation again and survive it. '_What if Inuyasha couldn't make it in time next time?' _The thought scared her immensely.

"Oi! Are you going to hop on or not?"

Inuyasha's annoyed voice effectively brought Kagome back to reality. Saying an apology for spacing out, she quickly sat on the leather seat and held onto him lightly. "Hey, Inuyasha…"

"What?" He brought the engine to life and adjusted his grip on the handlebars to lessen the effort on his left shoulder. Casting a fleeting look on his left shoulder, he could see that his red jacket was already soaked in his own blood.

"Thanks for coming to save me." It was the only thing that she could say in return for Inuyasha's efforts. '_For not letting me down.'_ She really felt glad when she saw Inuyasha again. She didn't know when it started but whenever Inuyasha was near her, she knew everything would be all right. No matter how scared she was, she could remain strong.

Because Inuyasha would never let her down…

Inuyasha didn't understand why it was easy for others to say thank you—especially Kagome. She always said that after every favor he had done for her. Didn't she ever get tired? Unfortunately, he wasn't like her. Feeling like he had to say something in reply, he muttered hurriedly over his shoulder, "It was my duty."

Kagome had seen that coming but she didn't feel crestfallen at all. "I know." She said softly, smiling at his back. '_But you did everything just to save me.' _She didn't care if it was all because of duty for Inuyasha. The mere fact that he didn't give up on her was enough to make Kagome very happy.

x

'_They're taking so long…' _Kagura walked to and fro inside the room, waiting for an announcement that the miko had arrived. "Contact Matsuda's group." She ordered impatiently, fearing that something had happened on their way.

"No one's picking up," replied the woman youkai seated in front of the communication device.

Kagura swore inwardly at the information she heard. "Check their location." Her eyes went to look at the large screen in the room. A map flashed on the screen, saying where the car was approximately situated.

"Twenty-two kilometers west of Ginkan Road. They're not moving!"

Kagura clenched her fists tightly in anger. She was almost sure that Solferis was behind this. "Send a search party. I want that miko!" She shouted and left the room afterwards to see Naraku. She needed to convince Naraku that Solferis was too much to tolerate already. They had to eliminate them soon.

x

"Inuyasha, I said stop!" Kagome pulled on Inuyasha's red jacket, making sure she wasn't pressuring the wound on his left shoulder in any way. "We need to get you to a hospital!" She insisted, looking once more at his bloody left shoulder anxiously.

Inuyasha expected that she would be doing this when she noticed the wound on his shoulder. That was why he preferred that she wouldn't see him bleeding. "I can treat my own wound when we get home, let's keep going." He told her while facing the side mirror, seeing the evident concern on Kagome's face. He also wanted to rest if they weren't in this kind of situation but he wasn't sure if they were completely safe now. Hell's Gate might have learned by now that he had retrieved Kagome. If that was the case, Hell's Gate might be looking for them this very moment.

But Kagome was stubborn to the core and wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. "You need to stop forcing yourself! You're going to die if you continue this!" She really thought Inuyasha was too reckless for his own good and feared that that would cause his demise someday. Good thing she was there to keep him in line _and_ alive.

"Stupid! Who said I'm going to die?.!" He answered back to Kagome, his black hair freely dancing with the rush of wind as they sped across the road. "Hold my hair back for me." He could see that she was having a difficult time in speaking without his hair blocking her face.

Kagome didn't need to be told twice. She gathered the hanyou's long dark hair in her hand and held it securely, liking its softness against her hand. Who could have thought Inuyasha's hair was this soft? She half-wondered if his white hair was just as soft. But she pushed her musings aside quickly when she remembered Inuyasha's condition. She had to convince him that he needed to rest, she could do dog hanyou hair musings afterwards.

"I'm fine so stop fussing." He said obstinately, cutting all attempts Kagome made for him to agree with her. He mentally cursed as the pain on his shoulder seemed to increase with every word he spoke. To top it all, he was still bleeding and if that went on, sooner or later his left arm would go numb because of too much loss of blood.

"You are not fine." The young miko-in-training was just as stubborn to prove her point. She was even tempted to poke Inuyasha's injury to show that she was right. "Stop acting so tough because I know you're in pain right now!" Her hands tightened on Inuyasha's jacket, where she had been clutching to keep herself from falling off. "Please Inuyasha…" Aside from concern, she couldn't help but feel that this was all her fault. If she had followed Inuyasha instead of insisting that they talk about her bracelet slash tracking device, none of this would have happened.

The expression he saw on Kagome's eyes made him finally agree. He couldn't identify what emotion he saw in those brown eyes of hers but it definitely did the trick. "Sheesh. Fine, I'll rest for a while." He said with an audible sigh, reducing their speed then slowly parking their vehicle on the roadside. After the engine had died, he motioned Kagome to get off before doing the same.

Kagome smiled in relief when Inuyasha finally gave in and said to him, "Good, there's a hospital nearby."

"We're not going there." He said calmly, sauntering to a nearby bench and dropping himself there almost instantly. "We'll stay here." He relaxed himself and leaned gratefully on its wooden back.

"But…" Kagome doubted if that was good for Inuyasha. She walked over to Inuyasha and also sat down on the bench, looking at his left shoulder apprehensively. "Your wound—"

"Shut up!" He snapped all of a sudden, glaring at her with his sharp gray orbs. "Your constant ranting's annoying me." It was a lie. He knew that himself. He didn't find Kagome's worrying annoying at all—not anymore. What angered him was the way he felt towards her constant concern. It was weird. He didn't find it unusual anymore that Kagome worried about him and he even li—no, _welcomed _it. Maybe because he was used to her worrying about him? That was all, right?

The thought that someone was actually concerned about him was not familiar to Inuyasha. Only a few people had shown a hint of concern for him and the rest didn't care about him at all. The rest included his remaining blood relatives—because he was hanyou and not like them. But Kagome wasn't among the rest… She had proven that to him so many times before.

Kagome was effectively silenced by Inuyasha's rather harsh words. '_Is that really…' _She looked down on her lap, her hands lightly resting on it. She smiled softly to herself as she rewound through their conversation. She might have sounded really irritating, with all that insistent chattering she'd been doing.

"We're fine. I got Kagome back. Just get the hell here quickly, you losers!"

Kagome looked at her right to see Inuyasha slamming his flip top phone close and taking his jacket off with a little caution. The left part of his plain white shirt was completely red with blood. '_He's still bleeding…'_ Her heart ached to see Inuyasha hurt like this.

He placed his discarded jacket beside him and rolled his left sleeve while grimacing in pain. '_Damn, this wound is bleeding too much…' _He really wished he wasn't human that night. If that was the case, this simple scratch wouldn't be such a bother to him.

"It won't stop bleeding." She murmured gently, her eyes focused on Inuyasha's injury. Her eyes were shining with concern and that emotion Inuyasha still couldn't quite identify.

He didn't know why but he suddenly felt the urge to comfort Kagome, to assure her that he was going to be all right. "Don't worry, I won't bleed to death." He reassured her with one of his signature smirks. '_Hopefully.'_

She looked down again on her lap, tears threatening to fall as she spoke, "It's all my fault."

'_So that's what I saw in her eyes. It's guilt…' _He remained silent, not knowing what to say. He was guessing that she was about to cry and he really hoped she wouldn't because that would be pretty awkward. Plus, he didn't know what he would do in that situation.

"If only we didn't get delayed back then, we wouldn't be in this mess." She raised her head to look at Inuyasha, her brown eyes full of sincerity. "Sorry, Inuyasha…"

"Don't be." His answer was quick and certain, solid gray eyes staring back meaningfully at her. He truly didn't want her to apologize. '_Because it's my fault.'_ He wanted to say to her but it came out as, "This happens a lot so get used to it." Not really comforting but he was relieved when her eyes didn't look watery anymore.

"Easy said than done." She said softly with a light smile, looking away from Inuyasha. It wasn't his words that had affected her so much, it was the way his eyes stared back at her. Inuyasha succeeded nonetheless, she felt better now. "You got a hanky?" She asked out of the blue.

"Planning to blow your nose on it?" Inuyasha couldn't help but jeer but nevertheless he still took out a navy blue handkerchief and handed it to her.

"No, I was planning to strangle you with it." Kagome glared at him as she took the handkerchief and carefully unfolded it. Scooting closer to him, she wrapped the piece of cloth around his bleeding shoulder with care like an experienced nurse. "Jeez, you bleed too much." She sighed as she took out her own handkerchief—light green with cherry blossoms on the border. She also tied that around Inuyasha's shoulder and smiled at her work when she was done. "There, much better."

Inuyasha watched silently as Kagome worked on his wound. Again, he felt weird as Kagome's delicate fingers tended his shoulder. He was not used to this kind of treatment, such kindness and gentleness, but with Kagome, it all felt natural… and right. '_What is happening to me?.!' _He thought, feeling lost and confused. He closed his eyes and decided to forget everything. Maybe this was all because he was human that night. Tomorrow, everything would be back to normal…

"Inuyasha, are you asleep?" Kagome asked uncertainly, looking at the hanyou-turned-human's relaxed face.

"No."

"Oh okay…" She continued to watch Inuyasha's human face while Inuyasha was still unaware of her gaze. That was the first time she got to see his human form without anything to worry about. Black strands of hair framed his face in the same way his usual white locks did. Instead of furry dog ears, he had normal human ears now. If he hadn't known Inuyasha before, she would have thought he was just a normal human kid. "You look weird when you're human." What she really wanted to say was it was weird that he had _another_ appearance. "I mean, it's weird that you're a hanyou one day and then you become human all of a sudden."

Inuyasha's eyes remained closed but he had heard Kagome clearly. Out of curiosity, he asked her, "Which do you prefer?"

It was a simple question but Kagome wasn't expecting it. She brought her eyes to stare at her sandals although she knew that Inuyasha wasn't even looking at her, a slight blush staining her cheeks. '_Well, your dog ears are really cute… but you look cool too when you have black hair.' _She said in her mind but of course there was no way she was going to say that aloud—and in front of Inuyasha. "I don't know. It's hard to choose…" She thought about Inuyasha's question carefully and found it to be true. It would be hard to choose. '_Why is there a need to choose anyway?' _She thought to herself. '_They're both Inuyasha, right?' _

'_Hard to choose?'_ Inuyasha opened an eye to take a peek at Kagome. He was curious to know why it would be hard to choose. "Hard because…?"

"Because you're a jerk—hanyou or human mode." Kagome smiled at him warmly. She knew he was waiting for her answer with interest that she couldn't help but fool around with him.

Inuyasha completely opened his eyes and scowled at her. "And here I was thinking you were going to say something nice and grand." He really thought he was going to hear something like that and was somewhat disappointed when he was proven wrong.

"But seriously speaking, I don't think I prefer one over the other. You're still Inuyasha—hanyou or human form." There. She had said what was really in her mind. She wondered how Inuyasha would react to that. She tentatively glanced beside her only to find Inuyasha smirking at her.

"Meaning I'm a jerk no matter what?" His smirk seemed permanently plastered on his face.

'_Couldn't he tell that I was serious about that one?.!' _She rolled her eyes and decided to say it again, since Inuyasha seemed so dense. "Stupid, what I mean is they're both part of who you are. I accept both of them so why need to prefer one over the other?" She didn't want to choose because if she did, Inuyasha wouldn't be Inuyasha anymore.

Inuyasha stared back at Kagome without saying anything. His grayish black eyes looked too surprised with the words he had heard. In truth, he was shocked _and _moved but he didn't want Kagome to know of the other feeling he felt. "That was something nice, right?" He feigned uncertainty and was doing a great job at it.

"Doesn't it sound nice?" Kagome pouted a little, a little discouraged that he didn't find it good enough.

"I can't tell." Inuyasha shrugged, looking up at the starry but moonless sky.

"Jerk."

Inuyasha's only reply was a smirk.

The silence spread out like fire between the two of them.

"Hanyous like me turn human once every month. In my case, I turn human every new moon. During those times, I lose my youkai abilities and become an ordinary human. It's not really a big secret but I would prefer it if you wouldn't go blabbing about it at school. Understand?" He looked sideways at Kagome and waited for her answer.

"No problem." Kagome smiled, watching the few cars that went past them.

Silence ruled over them once again but neither cared. Kagome was too busy thinking about certain things, especially the events that night.

She couldn't even remember how everything happened. Everything seemed just like a nightmare to her. There was a gunshot. She and Inuyasha were running. Another gunshot. Someone had grabbed her. Fear engulfed her whole body. Her stomach was cringing in pain then darkness followed. Then she woke up and everything was all right already. Inuyasha had come to save her.

But what if next time would be different? What if the nightmare wouldn't turn out all right anymore? What if Inuyasha wouldn't come anymore?

"I was really scared at that moment…" She suddenly spoke, wanting to tell him about her feelings. She didn't care if he wasn't listening. It was enough for her that she was able to say her thoughts out loud. "When they took me away from you…" She felt so defenseless and weak at that time.

'_I knew it, she was scared.' _Inuyasha looked at Kagome from the corner of his eyes and studied her for a while. She looked very vulnerable at that moment. "Like I said, you must get used to it." If only he could take away Kagome's miko aura, he would. So Kagome wouldn't need to suffer like this. But all he could do was protect her to the best of his abilities.

"Is that your way of saying, 'Don't worry, I'm here to protect you.'?" Kagome looked at Inuyasha with a small smirk on her lips.

But Inuyasha was serious this time and wasn't in the mood for Kagome's teasing. Her words echoed in his mind and brought him a harsh truth: he couldn't _always_ be there for her. "There will come a time when I can't be there for you anymore." Those words left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth but it wouldn't change the fact that it was true.

Kagome's smirk faltered then disappeared completely, realizing the truth in his words. "I guess you're right... so I'll train harder so I can protect myself next time!" She flashed a bright smile for him but deep inside Inuyasha's words still haunted her.

"**There will come a time when I can't be there for you anymore."**

'_If Inuyasha's gone, what will happen to me? Will I be happy? Sad? Safe? Dead? Why wouldn't he be there for me anyway? It's his job, right? He should be with me twenty-four seven!' _Then it hit her hard. Why did she want Inuyasha to be with her always? '_Because…' _She paused and thought about the question. '_Because I need his protection!_ _I'm scared and I don't think I'll survive on my own. That's all… right?' _

She got no reassurance whatsoever from herself.

Inuyasha regretted his words when he saw Kagome's cheerful, teasing eyes had lost its glimmer but the regret he felt was pushed back when Kagome flashed another cheery smile. "That's better." He flashed a smile of his own, relieved that she was smiling again. '_She would be all right even without me. She's a strong girl. After all, she is training to be a miko… But while I'm still with her, I will protect her.' _"Kagome?" He looked at his left and found the miko staring back at him, ready to listen.

"Hm?"

"About the bracelet," started Inuyasha, locking his jerk self securely so he wouldn't screw up. "I never thought it would hurt you if I hid the truth…" He trailed off, unable to continue his line. It was always hard for him to swallow his pride but he had to do it. He promised to himself that he would if he got to Kagome in time. Besides, it was really his fault anyway. "And I… I…" But knowing that it was his fault _still_ wasn't helping him say what he had to.

"Forget it. I knew you didn't mean it." She could sense that Inuyasha was having a hard time apologizing. The mere fact that he was trying to do so was enough for Kagome. She wasn't that hard to please.

"I admit that I'm a selfish, know-it-all bastard." After saying those words, he quickly averted his gaze from Kagome, not wanting her to see him blushing in embarrassment.

"Inuyasha…" She gasped his name softly, deeply moved by Inuyasha's act. '_Coming from Inuyasha, that was almost like he had said sorry.' _She smiled thankfully at her protector. "Try to sleep. I'll wake you up when Miroku gets here." She advised, hoping he wouldn't go against her suggestion.

"Okay." Inuyasha agreed and closed his eyes slowly. His body was screaming for rest anyway. The pain seemed to engulf his whole body. He only hoped that Hell's Gate wouldn't find them first before Miroku. He didn't like the odds that he would be able to protect his charge. Before he slipped into oblivion, he leaned his head gently on Kagome's shoulder and used it as his pillow. In that case, he would wake up if she would be taken away. "Stay beside me, okay?"

She couldn't help the jump her heart made when Inuyasha put his head against her shoulder all of a sudden but she quickly relaxed. Then she heard his soft request, his voice telling her that he was tired—very tired. A small smile involuntarily made its way across her lips and she replied tenderly, "Don't worry, I won't leave."

'_Weird…' _Kagome thought, feeling confused with the way she was reacting. Her heart was _happy_ to hear those words from him. But why? She looked at the slumbering Inuyasha but no answer came to her. '_What is happening to me?.!'_

x

Kagome immediately tensed when two white cars stopped in front of them but was soon eased when Miroku and another man stepped out from one of them.

"Miroku!" She exclaimed happily at the sight of the black-haired agent of Solferis.

Miroku went to them and looked with worry at Inuyasha, who continued to sleep on Kagome's shoulder. "Is Inuyasha all right?" He wasn't surprised that Inuyasha was human that night. His eyes went to Inuyasha's left shoulder and frowned disapprovingly. _'He's so damn reckless…' _He thought then his eyes went to Kagome, who was also looking at Inuyasha with concern. _'But he did that to save Kagome…'_

"We need to get his wound treated. He's bleeding too much…" Kagome answered as Miroku slowly took Inuyasha, taking his uninjured arm to assist him to get to his feet.

"Let's get going then," said Miroku as he carefully walked Inuyasha towards the car with Kagome and the other man following behind closely. "Missed me, Inuyasha?" He greeted when the human Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked at Miroku.

"Keh!" Inuyasha sneered weakly, looking around for Kagome. When he spotted her just behind him, he calmed down. "Finally, you got your lazy asses here."

"Don't talk anymore, dog-boy." Miroku smirked as he led Inuyasha towards the backseat of the first car. "I admit we were late. You win."

"Keh! Of course I win." He winced a little when his left shoulder pressed hard on the backseat. When he was comfortable enough, he resumed his sleep. Kagome sitting on his right was the last thing he remembered.

Miroku took the driver's seat and stirred the engine. "Hidoki, tell them we're heading to Kikyou's mansion. We still need to escort Inuyasha and Kagome before we get back." He told the man seated on the front passenger seat.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha worriedly as they headed to Kikyou's place. _'That's right. We can't go back to my house now… If we get attacked, Inuyasha won't be able to fight in his condition.' _She knew there was a great possibility that he could die if that happened. _'Because he'll still push himself to fight.'_

"Miroku, we're being followed!" Hidoki announced after closing his cell phone.

Miroku cursed under his breath and stepped on the gas. "How many?"

"One car."

He relaxed at that news but maintained their fast speed. "Tell the other car to stop and hold them off. We need to escape. Inuyasha needs medical treatment." He ordered Hidoki then looked back at Kagome. "How's Inuyasha?"

Kagome took his right arm and felt for his pulse. "His pulse is weakening." Her anxiety increased when she held Inuyasha's hand in her own and felt coldness instead of life's warmth. She closed her eyes and prayed silently for Inuyasha's safety, her hands enclosing Inuyasha's hand with care. _'Inuyasha… please hang in there… Don't die…' _

If Kagome didn't have her eyes closed, she would have noticed that her hands were glowing with a faint shade of pink light.

x

"Is Inuyasha going to be all right?" Kagome asked the doctor when he was finally done examining him. They had arrived safely in Kikyou's mansion and the other car had reported that they had eliminated the group Hell's Gate sent after them. Immediately after they had arrived, a doctor entered the room where Inuyasha was and checked him.

"He's all right." The doctor answered briefly, putting his stethoscope and other medical tools he used back inside his black bag.

"Thank goodness." Kagome sighed with relief and beside her, she could have sworn that Kikyou also did the same.

"Actually, it's surprising. With his wound, he should have lost lots of blood but he didn't." He informed the two ladies inside the room, looking utterly perplexed with the situation.

Kagome too was puzzled with his words. "But he did! He won't stop bleeding!" She told the doctor persistently, pointing to the two _very _bloody handkerchiefs that now lie on the bedside table. "His pulse was weak too when I checked!" She even added.

The doctor's forehead cringed in confusion. "But his pulse was normal when I took it…"

_'Wha…?' _Kagome was utterly lost in their conversation. He seemed to be refuting every statement she had said. She looked at Kikyou for backup.

Kikyou stood silently, listening to their conversation. "Thank you, Dr. Katsumida. You may leave now." She said seriously, looking at the doctor as he said his good-bye and left. She walked over to Inuyasha's bed and looked back at Kagome. "Kagome, are you sure?"

"Yes," replied Kagome instantly, looking back at Kikyou with certainty.

Kikyou seemed to believe her and looked down at Inuyasha's sleeping form, the comforter pulled up to his neck. "This is weird…" She muttered to herself, her mind thinking about the possibilities.

"Weird?" Kagome questioned hesitantly, stepping forward to stand beside Kikyou.

"Inuyasha, stop pretending you're asleep. I want to have a talk with you." Kikyou commanded, her sharp brown eyes focused on Inuyasha like a hawk.

Inuyasha kept his eyes closed as he answered Kikyou, exasperation not hidden in the way he spoke. "I'm injured. Can't you let me rest for a while before that?" He didn't know how Kikyou did it but she always seemed to know if he was awake or asleep.

Kikyou ignored the vexed tone Inuyasha used and answered him evenly. "You can rest all you want after we talk."

He knew there was no way Kikyou would let him sleep now so he grudgingly opened his eyes and growled, his gray orbs tinged with annoyance, "You're so bossy." He slowly sat up and leaned his back against the elegant headboard of his bed, the comforter dropping on his lap. White bandages were wrapped around his wounded shoulder, his bloody plain shirt ripped off when the doctor treated his wound. He smiled cockily when he found Kagome blushing uncomfortably at the sight of his bare chest. Unfortunately, Kikyou was—as usual—unaffected.

_'Arrogant jerk!'_ She wanted to say when she saw Inuyasha smirking at her way. Her blush instantly disappeared and was replaced by a sudden urge to strangle the guy in front of her.

Kikyou pretended not to notice the silent conversation going on between Inuyasha and Kagome and resisted the urge to clear her throat to catch their attention. "That's because I'm the boss here." She said with almost an air of smugness.

"Keh!"

Now that she had his attention, she got down to business. "Don't you find it strange, Inuyasha? Your strength was back when you came here. The blood you lost was restored." She was sure Inuyasha was also wondering about this.

"Maybe my youkai blood kicked in." Inuyasha shrugged uncaringly.

"Your youkai blood is dormant on a new moon," countered Kikyou quickly, looking at Kagome to see if she was listening closely. She was.

"So what do you think is it?" He asked, feeling that Kikyou somehow got the answer.

Kikyou returned her gaze back at Inuyasha and told them what she had been thinking. "Kagome transferred some of her energy to you."

"What?.!" Inuyasha and Kagome gasped at the same time just as Kikyou had expected.

"That's impossible!" Inuyasha was definitely unable to believe that was possible. Kagome was just a beginner and she wouldn't know how to do that. There was no way that she would have pulled off a stunt like that.

Surprisingly, Kagome agreed with Inuyasha. "But I didn't do anything!" She supported Inuyasha, looking at Kikyou in shock. She replayed the events back in her head and was sure that she didn't do any transferring of energy whatsoever.

"Surprising, yes. Impossible, no." Kikyou said calmly, looking at Kagome then back at Inuyasha. "I think Kagome did it subconsciously. She still couldn't control her miko powers. Maybe that's the reason behind it." _'But still, to be able to transfer her energy to a human being… That's too advance for her level.' _She began to think there was something more to Kagome that they didn't know—even she herself didn't know. She turned to Kagome and said warningly, "But Kagome, you need to control your powers next time. It is dangerous to transfer energy into another living body."

"Why would it be dangerous?" Kagome asked Solferis' leader, looking lost. "I saved Inuyasha's life, right?" She was happy with that thought. At least she could repay Inuyasha in some way for his efforts.

"You saved him because he was human at that time. But if he was hanyou, you would have purified him. Remember, the energy you are transferring is _miko _energy. Inuyasha is half-youkai. Your miko energy will fight with his youkai blood." Kikyou knew that Inuyasha knew very well what she was talking about. Her eyes glanced at Inuyasha only to find that he was looking at Kagome the whole time she was talking.

_'I nearly killed Inuyasha…' _The young miko thought, her eyes wide in shock and unmistakable fear. "I didn't know that…" She managed to say just above a whisper, her heart hammering hard inside her chest. _'I could have hurt Inuyasha.' _The thought sent chills that made her blood run cold. She could feel Inuyasha's eyes on her but she didn't dare meet them, afraid to see fear or dislike in his eyes.

Kikyou knew Kagome would be shocked but she had to say it to avoid further accidents. "That's understandable," said Kikyou, trying to appease Kagome's mind. "I only hope next time you'll be more careful."

A knock on the door brought everyone's attention towards its direction.

"Come in," said Kikyou briefly, expecting Miroku to enter when the door opened. "Kagome, please go back to your room now. I need to talk to Miroku and Inuyasha." She indicated to the high school miko then motioned for Miroku to step forward.

"Okay." Kagome didn't protest anymore. The sooner she got out of the room, the better. She didn't waste anymore time and quickly headed for the door.

Inuyasha's eyes followed her as she left the room. A voice at the back of his head kept nagging him that there was something wrong with Kagome. He had an idea what it was, it was almost obvious in the way she avoided eye contact with him.

"We have a new agent and I'm putting her in your mission."

This quickly brought Inuyasha back to the room. "New?.!" He exclaimed, eyes staring at Kikyou incredulously. "Why did you assign a trainee in this kind of mission?.!" A growl was slowly forming at the back of Inuyasha's throat.

Miroku didn't seem to be that much bothered unlike Inuyasha. "She?" If he had a tail, it would be wagging like crazy right now. "How old?" Of course, he still had to make sure of the age and the status of the said female.

"She's seventeen," answered Kikyou without much enthusiasm then turned to refute Inuyasha, "and she's not a trainee. She's the daughter of Shako and Shako himself trained her." She knew Inuyasha was having a hard time with his charge and she didn't want to put all the pressure on him so she decided to put more people in his mission.

"I don't care who trained her! I'm not giving this mission to her." He argued back, still unable to believe it. Kikyou was really putting him out of this mission and replacing him with a _new _agent. Sure he told her before that he wanted to quit the mission but he didn't want to anymore. He had _accepted_ this mission now and there was no way he would allow a new timer to take his place.

Miroku was smiling mentally at the way Inuyasha was acting. Little by little, Inuyasha was admitting that he was starting to like his mission. _'Or is it Kagome?' _He half-mused to himself.

Kikyou also smiled inwardly at Inuyasha's argument. She could tell that Inuyasha didn't want to quit the job now. "You don't need to." She reassured him. "I'm just putting her as your assistant like Miroku."

"Assistant?" Inuyasha didn't seem to get the drift of Kikyou's words. "You mean another headache." He looked at Miroku lazily, getting suspicious with the way Miroku's eyes were sparkling. _'There is something annoying in the way this lecher is staring at me…'_

"It means lesser job for you. You don't need to be around her twenty-four seven." Kikyou explained, her face never showed much emotion as she spoke.

"Meaning?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, waiting for Kikyou to expound some more. _'Is she going to tell me that I'm not going to live with Kagome anymore?' _Unknown to him, he had been holding his breath while he waited for her response.

"She'll also study in your school." Kikyou answered matter-of-factly. "You can leave her to guard Kagome in the school premises." She even suggested, giving him the benefits of having a female agent in the mission. "Kagome would be more comfortable and she could escort Kagome in some places you guys can't."

_'Ah, like the girls' restroom…'_ He released the breath he was holding and asked, "That's all?" That meant he was still staying in Kagome's house, right?

"What do you mean 'that's all'?" She couldn't help but sound suspicious as she looked at Inuyasha questioningly.

"Uh nothing." He quickly averted his gaze, feeling uncomfortable under Kikyou's scrutinizing gaze. Why was it that he suddenly felt guilty of two-timing? _'What two-timing?.!' _He quickly scrapped the thought but still didn't look into Kikyou's eyes.

Miroku could almost see the tenseness hanging in the air. He bet Inuyasha was sweating cold profusely that very moment. For old times' sake, he decided to rescue his friend so he broke the silence. "So is there any more useful information about this new girl?" Might as well kill two birds at the same time. This new girl agent was really interesting for him. "Like her vital statistics perhaps?"

"I still don't have her contract. I'll tell you tomorrow morning." Kikyou pretended not to hear the last sentence given by Miroku. "That reminds me, will you be going to school tomorrow? You can use one of the cars to get there." Her eyes still focused on Inuyasha.

"I'll ask Kagome first." Inuyasha still didn't make any eye contact with Kikyou as he answered her.

Kikyou seemed not to mind though. "We found your motorcycle. We sent it already to Kaji to have it repaired." Turning on her heels, she paused when she reached the door. "I'll be going now. You take a good rest." Then she was gone.

The moment Kikyou had left Miroku unleashed the long kept silence he held. "So… Not going to give this mission to her huh?" He smiled knowingly at Inuyasha then even dared to add, "Aren't you starting to become possessive?"

_'Ah damn it, don't look away!' _He scolded himself but it was too late. He was looking away once again. A sign that he was sure Miroku would take as guilty. "Fuck off." He muttered, sinking on his bed and pretending to get some sleep. He even pulled the comforter up to his neck.

Being the good friend that Miroku was, he decided to keep Inuyasha company—even though he obviously didn't want him. "Is it just me or you're already liking your mission?" He continued his investigation and mentally added, _'And Kagome.'_

"Keh! You have it all wrong. I just realized that she would be dead without me. I can't let that happen." He quickly wished that something would happen so Miroku would get out of his room. With the words he had spoken, he was almost sure Miroku wouldn't let him off easily until he said something really really stupid.

Miroku's eyebrows were both raised in amusement. "Because?"

Inuyasha was glaring daggers at Miroku but his expression didn't change. Inuyasha was having the urge to kill a certain someone but he was able to restrain himself—grudgingly. "Because it's my duty." He said between gritted teeth, ready to bite Miroku's head off if he would say one more smart ass comment.

"I thought so." The older agent's danger alert was ringing off and to preserve his life, he knew he better follow that danger alert. He stepped back rather hurriedly and said hastily, "Okay, I'm going home. You rest already." The door closed quickly behind him.

Inuyasha sighed in extreme relief. Finally he could rest. But then again, that would be boring. He tossed his quilt aside and jumped out of bed _literally_, grabbing a shirt on his way out. He was off to do his favorite pastime. Clue, it involved a certain black-haired miko.

x

Who was currently depressed on the poolside.

"Hey." Inuyasha greeted when he finally spotted Kagome sitting on the edge of the indoor pool, her legs dangling on the warm water. After pocketing his mobile phone, he sat down beside her but didn't dip his legs in the pool like she did.

"You shouldn't be here," came Kagome's weak reply, her eyes looking at the water's subtle movements.

"I thought you were sleeping already. I checked you in your room." Inuyasha noted the lack of spark in her eyes at once. He guessed that she went here straight away when she left his room.

"No need to check on me every time. I'm safe here, remember?" She was surprised that Inuyasha was still talking to her after what he had heard. _'Oh yeah, it's his duty…' _"You should be in your room, resting." She told him, taking a quick look at him but still avoiding his eyes.

"You should be in your room, sleeping." He countered, feeling irked with the way she kept avoiding his eyes. _'What the hell is she so scared about!.?' _He wanted to grab her shoulders and make her look into his eyes but he was sure Kagome wouldn't like that. He could almost picture himself being pushed to the pool by a certain irate miko.

Silence brewed between them when neither found anything to say to each other. Inuyasha only watched Kagome wordlessly as she watched the pool with high interest.

When Kagome realized that Inuyasha wasn't going to go any time soon, she decided that it was best to apologize to him. The earlier, the better. Gathering the courage she needed to speak, she looked into Inuyasha's eyes for the first time since that talk and started, "About the—"

"You love to worry about useless things." Inuyasha interrupted her straight away when he sensed that she was about to apologize—again. It was a surprise—even to Inuyasha—that he didn't sound even a tiny bit annoyed when he spoke those words. Perhaps because he really wasn't?

"I still haven't told you anything. How do you know that it's useless?" Kagome asked, relaxing under Inuyasha's eyes. His gray eyes were calm and not a trace of fear or dislike could be seen. Her heart was calmed by his eyes. It was good to know that he wasn't looking at her like she had expected him to. Maybe she was simply being paranoid that Inuyasha would be mad at her for that…

"You're worrying about accidentally purifying me, aren't you?" That was the only thing that could possibly bother her and her silence was enough proof that he was correct. "Silence means yes to me." He cocked his head a little, trying to stir some cheerfulness in her.

Even though her heart was pacified, her eyes still remained troubled. "Aren't you afraid of me for that? I can't control my miko powers…" She lifted her feet from the water and bent them so she could rest her arms on her knees and her chin on her arms. _'I can kill you without intending to.' _She would never forgive herself if she did that.

He didn't understand why Kagome was so upset when he who was supposed to freak out like hell didn't give a damn about it. "Keh! I'm not entirely youkai so I won't die. I'll just lose my youkai abilities permanently but of course I still won't let you do that." He looked at her to see if she got any better with his words. He sighed mentally, he was never good with this kind of stuff but he tried again. "You said you'll train hard, right? You'll be able to control your powers soon." Actually, he also hoped she would so she could protect herself more.

Kagome didn't speak for a few seconds and only stared in front of her, her eyes seemed to be in some kind of deep thinking. "Now you're acting truly weird." She said gently, breaking the silence that was stretching. "Is it because you're human tonight?" Maybe human Inuyasha was the _very _nice side Inuyasha kept inside him?

"Weird huh…" Inuyasha smiled rather wryly at Kagome's comment.

"Were you offended?" Her eyebrows cringed in concern.

_'There she goes again!' _Inuyasha thought, wanting to tell Kagome again that she always worried too much. "Not really." He answered, noticing for the first time that the whole house seemed silent—except for the security that went around the house. "So, would you like to go to school tomorrow?" That was the thing he was supposed to ask her since a while ago!

"But your wound—"

"I'll be completely healed tomorrow." He cut in hurriedly, fearing the excessive concern she was showing for him. If she did that often, he would surely get used to it soon and he had to avoid that. Getting too attached was not good for their current relationship—relationship meaning, protector-and-his-charge relationship. "Besides, you can't miss the math lecture tomorrow." He added, swaying the conversation to another topic.

"Don't remind me." Kagome sulked, trying to cover her ears from the horrible 'm' word. "Aren't you going to sleep soon?" _'Shouldn't he be sleeping to get some rest instead of chatting here?'_

"Want to get rid of me already?" He feigned to take offense in her question. Who knew maybe he was a little offended…

"It's not that…"

Inuyasha smirked happily at Kagome's reply. "Good, I don't have plans of sleeping yet."

Kagome could almost sense Inuyasha's plan. "You plan to pester me, don't you?" She looked at him with suspicion written all over her face.

Inuyasha only smirked wider at her. _'With pleasure.'_

x

"Inuyasha, didn't you sleep well?" Miroku asked, looking at the hanyou who had been yawning rather frequently. There weren't any circles under his amber eyes but his actions were enough to make Miroku notice that he didn't get enough sleep.

"What?" Inuyasha asked back, suppressing another upcoming yawn. He mentally made a note to himself that he wasn't going to have late night talks with Kagome anymore. They tended to stretch the whole night. His eyes seemed to be falling on their own accord. It was a good thing he was seated or he might have collapsed by now.

"I was asking if you didn't sleep well." He repeated but didn't actually need to hear Inuyasha's answer anymore. It was very evident already.

_'I barely slept.' _He wanted to tell him but three words were too challenging to say for a person who didn't get any _proper _sleep. "Barely." He contented himself with that one word to answer Miroku, closing his eyes once more since Kikyou was still not in sight.

The door opened softly and Kikyou entered, carrying a brown folder with her. "What a good coincidence, our new agent is already studying at your school." She told them as she sat herself on her chair, glad that Inuyasha and Miroku didn't break anything during their stay unlike the last time they had been in her office. Speaking of Inuyasha, Kikyou noticed that he wasn't so lively that morning.

"She is?" Miroku was the only one who reacted with Kikyou's statement. Inuyasha remained speechless or rather half-asleep.

"Yes," said Kikyou as she opened the folder and showed it to Miroku. "Her name is Sango. Sango Kaito."

"What?.!" Miroku's eyes were wide in shock but he was grinning like mad. Oh he could hear the bells of destiny ringing!

And Inuyasha?

He was now wide-awake.

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: So who among you have seen that coming? Anyway, fluff for everyone. Angst to follow again soon… Oh look! This chapter's longer than the previous one! Reviews are highly appreciated.


	13. Insecurity

A/N: No, I am still not dead. Yes, I have updated. No, I am not quitting on this story. Yes, I know I took so damn long (make that so freaking damn irritating long). No, this isn't a Kouga/Kagome fic. Sorry, but I only pair Kagome with Inuyasha in my fanfics. Yes, Sango is having a bigger role and isn't that great? No, I am not telling when Kagome and Inuyasha are getting together. I have a lot of nasty twists yet to come so until then… you can never tell when they're getting together (or if they are even going to get together in the end. Who knows, I might just kill one of them! XD). Yes, I enjoyed your reviews! Thanks for sending a lot and I hope you won't get tired to send me some more! To those who sent a couple to remind me that I'm taking so freaking long to update, forgive me. I do want to update but everything else is against me. Your reviews though are much appreciated.

x

Disclaimer: Do I look like Rumiko Takashi or something? Of course not.

x

x

x

x

x

Chapter 13

_**Insecurity **_

x

x

x

x

x

"Kagome Higurashi is being protected by a hanyou sent by Solferis." A smooth male voice coming from the speaker of the phone spoke with certainty. "Solferis has made the same arrangements so that their agent will be living together with the miko and her residence is definitely kept secured twenty-four seven."

"A hanyou, you say?" Naraku said with a slight sneer, his evil aura surrounding the whole room as it intensified together with his temper. "It took _only _a stinking _mutt_ hanyou to foil our plans?.!.?" His eyes wandered away from the speaker phone and towards the red-eyed woman standing before him. "Kagura, would you mind explaining this to me?" Naraku said with serious solid eyes from behind his desk, looking disapprovingly at his female youkai underling. "The miko is just sixteen and you weren't able to catch her? What kind of idiots are working for you?.!"

"Naraku, we did get her but the miko's powerful! My men said that she has erected a barrier while she's unconscious." Kagura tried to reason out, feeling her superior's fury radiating further.

"You already got her in your grasp and you let her escape!" Naraku's eyes were narrowed like slits, his red orbs glowing darkly. "Kagura, I give you one more chance to catch that miko. Use it well because your life is at stake." He turned his chair around, his back towards Kagura. "Go now. I'm busy and I don't want to be disturbed."

Kagura quickly left without another word. She knew Naraku was serious with his words.

"Solferis has been thwarting your plans way too long," said the voice from the speaker, apparently listening to the conversation between Naraku and Kagura. "Don't you think it's time to do something about them?"

"Hm…" Naraku closed his eyes and thought for a while. "You know very well that I don't want people telling me what to do." He said warningly.

"I forgot." He replied easily and rather cheerfully. "By the way, mom is asking if you're going home for dinner. She said you need to go home more often because she's missing you already. I think I better go! I still have lots of homework to do."

"A little advice, try not to overdo the good boy act so much, little brother. It's disgusting." Naraku didn't hide the annoyance in his voice as he spoke.

The younger boy on the phone laughed then answered, "It's a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. People are so easy to fool… Stupid trusting humans…"

Naraku smirked at his brother's comment. "Tell mother I'll be home in a bit." He still needed to do something. _'White roses will be perfect.'_ He thought with a dark smile on his face.

x

"You mean Sango's also an agent of Solferis now and she's going to be in the mission too?.!" Kagome said that all in one breath, smiling so brightly to show her obvious delight at the good news she heard. She held Sango's hand cheerfully and gave it a tight squeeze. "It sure surprised me but I'm not complaining!"

"No complaints here either!" Sango beamed at Kagome then added, "I never really thought of you as a miko! Sure you live in a shrine but to actually be a miko! Wow!" She looked at Kagome in astonishment, her brown eyes wide with happiness.

"Yeah, I know." Kagome couldn't stop herself from grinning. That was the first news about the whole protection arrangement that she actually liked immediately after hearing it. "I also can't believe it at first." She chanced a glance at Inuyasha and was only annoyed to find him rolling his eyes at them. _'Jerk.' _She quickly averted her eyes from him and ignored him.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the current conversation once again. _'Women… Why do they get easily excited on trivial stuff?.!' _He thought as he was left with no choice but witness Kagome and Sango gush over the said _wonderful_ news. Somehow, even with the happy mood of the two girls, Inuyasha wasn't affected and was left feeling rather pissed off.

"Anyway, I'm glad that I'm going to be spending my first mission around you!" Sango told Kagome, her excitement didn't seem to decrease even a bit.

And it was ticking Inuyasha more and more. "Just so we make it clear, your first mission is as an _assistant_, okay?" Inuyasha snapped all of a sudden, feeling that he was being ignored in their supposed to be _meeting_. "Don't even think for one second that you're in command because I'm still the head of this team. Got that?" He didn't know why but he wasn't exactly thrilled by Sango's addition in their mission—unlike Kagome.

"Yes Inuyasha, I know." Sango replied evenly, her eyes were glaring though.

Kagome ceased ignoring the hanyou and turned to look at him. "You're so rude! You could at least welcome Sango since she's new in the mission!" She scolded, giving Inuyasha a disapproving look. _'Why is he always a jerk?.?.?'_

He cursed inwardly. _'She never fails to notice me when I do something bad, doesn't she?' _He crossed his arms in front of him, grumbling crossly, "Again, I'm the bad guy!"

"Well, you are acting like one!" replied Kagome, pointing out the obvious to Inuyasha.

Of course, Inuyasha still wouldn't admit defeat. "You _always _see me as the bad guy!" He continued to argue, not minding Sango and Miroku on the background—plus a few students walking by that stared at them.

"I told you because you are acting so!" Kagome also didn't seem to mind that they were causing a commotion. She was too caught up with her determination to win against Inuyasha in their contest of wills.

Inuyasha too was feeling the same. "No, I don't!" He quickly contested, not letting more than a second of silence pass between them. _'Wench might think she won…' _

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"I SAID NO, WENCH!"

Why was it that they seemed to have this Yes-No game rather too often nowadays?

Kagome sighed in resignation. "I'm not going to waste my energy to play this Yes-No game of yours." She told Inuyasha resolutely, turning her back to him. "But you are so acting like a mean jerk!" She added as a conclusion so Inuyasha would know that she was still _not_ letting him win.

"No, I am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

Inuyasha smirked arrogantly. "I thought you weren't playing?" _'Hah, take that bitch!'_

Kagome flushed but she quickly recovered and hit Inuyasha's shoulder—hard. "Argh, shut up jerk!" She said in frustration, glowering at Inuyasha's smug face. _'Oh please! Don't let him say anything! Please! Please! Please!' _She prayed silently in her head.

Silence.

Kagome couldn't believe it. Inuyasha _actually_ shut up!

But not for long.

As if reading what was on Kagome's mind, Inuyasha's smirk widened victoriously. "I win!" He announced loudly, making sure that Kagome was looking at him as he spoke his words.

Kagome pulled at her hair in utter despair. _'How dare he!' _ She gritted her teeth hard and growled out, "No, you don't!"

Inuyasha's ears perked up at Kagome's reply. She was obviously playing another Yes-No game with him—yes, it was officially called Yes-No game from now on. _'It's amazing how easily you can manipulate her when she's angry…' _He thought in amusement. His smirk was permanently stuck on his lips as he slowly formed one word that would continue their little fun game—well, it was fun in Inuyasha's opinion… "Yes."

The young miko-in-training's eyes were dripping with pure irritation, her left eyebrow was twitching sporadically. "No." She muttered threateningly, daring Inuyasha to say another 'yes'.

"See? I win again!" He renewed his smirk and even risked to pat Kagome's head lightly. "Inuyasha, two. Kagome, zero." He enjoyed the way little balls of fire lit on Kagome's eyes.

"You're pathetic." She slanted her eyes at him in pure annoyance, giving him a 'Take-Your-Dirty-Hand-Off-Me' look. She made a mental note to herself that she would _not_—definitely _NOT_—play Inuyasha's Yes-No game ever again.

"Aw… Don't be such a bitter loser…" He offered her a lopsided grin in an effort to comfort her.

But to Kagome it looked pretty much like he was teasing her again—who knew, maybe he was teasing her. "I'm not being bitter!" She hurriedly answered back.

'_Great! Another round!' _Inuyasha quickly grabbed the chance and cooed slowly, "Yes, you are." His golden yellow eyes looked expectantly at her. He could almost see another point being added under his name.

"I said I'm—" She quickly caught herself, glaring even more at Inuyasha. Why was it that he always got what he wanted from her?.! "Never mind. I'm not giving you another win, you loser!" She said dismissively, turning on her heels and leaving everyone else behind. _'He's so childish!'_

"Hey! That's unfair! You can't just walk out of a game without finishing it!" Inuyasha was immediately behind her, trying to get her to play with him again. It was childish, yes, but he never grew tired of playing with her. Perhaps, because he enjoyed her reaction every time… If he was to list his likes in a slam book, playing games with Kagome—also known as teasing Kagome—would be one of them. If he was to list his hobbies, pestering Kagome would be one of them.

Unnoticed by Inuyasha, Kagome was slowly becoming part of his life—whether he liked it or not.

Sango and Miroku were left behind, contemplating silently to themselves what had just taken place before them.

"So… Does that end our so-called _meeting_?" Sango asked Miroku to break the silence between them. _'They act so childish… What a peculiar way to show their affection to each other…'_ She thought as she watched Inuyasha follow Kagome to their classroom.

"They're always like that. You better get used to them." Miroku told her, smiling knowingly. _'I think Inuyasha and Kagome are starting to like each other—though they show it in a weird way.'_

Sango sighed. "Yeah… It's not like I have any other choice anyway." She shrugged then went to follow Kagome and Inuyasha but Miroku's hand caught her hand, stopping her immediately. She turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Inuyasha was just threatened of having you in the mission. I hope you weren't that upset by his behavior." Miroku said apologetically, feeling that it was his duty to explain Inuyasha's actions to Sango.

"Threatened?" Sango repeated unsurely.

"He thought you were going to replace him," replied Miroku with a small smile. Even though Inuyasha wouldn't tell him, Miroku could tell what Inuyasha was feeling. Being around Inuyasha so long, it wasn't hard to recognize his emotion—especially if he wasn't making any effort to hide them.

"I'm his assistant not his substitute." Sango cleared, although she somehow understood Inuyasha's reason. "Didn't Kikyou make that clear to him?" She asked Miroku curiously. "Plus, do you mind letting go of my hand now?" She plucked Miroku's hand from her own, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

'_Damn, she noticed.' _Miroku grinned sheepishly then cleared his throat to resume their _serious_ talk. "Kikyou did but Inuyasha is still threatened. Probably because Kagome's so happy with the arrangement."

Sango rolled her eyes at Miroku's words. "I'm her friend! Of course she's happy!" She understood Inuyasha's reason all right but she had to admit that it was also pretty irrational. _'Love is irrational at times I guess…'_ She thought to herself.

"Well…" Miroku paused a little before continuing. "Inuyasha's a little possessive of his mission..." _'And Kagome.' _He wanted so much to add.

"More like he's possessive of Kagome…" She added more to herself than to Miroku.

But still, Miroku heard her. _'You hit the nail right on the spot!' _He wanted to say but instead it came out as,"That's also possible."

"Possible? It's expected. Since he's her boyfriend after all…" Her words trailed off when she saw Miroku's expression clearly saying, 'They're not really together though...' Everything suddenly fell into their places. Inuyasha being so interested in Kagome. Inuyasha being Kagome's protector. Inuyasha following Kagome around. Inuyasha being part of Solferis. Kagome being a miko.

Sango opened her mouth slowly and managed to say, "You mean Inuyasha and Kagome are not truly…?"

x

"Yes, Inuyasha's not really my boyfriend. It's just an act that we use as an excuse for him always tailing me." Kagome sighed her answer as she dried her hands then combed her hair in front of the mirror.

"You agreed to do that?.!" Sango exclaimed in pure shock, looking at her friend in disbelief. She knew Kagome and she never thought that she would agree to something like that—unless the situation was really serious like the one she was having. _'Okay… so it might be a good thing that Kagome had agreed…' _She admitted to herself.

Kagome smiled awkwardly. "Well sort of… Inuyasha blackmailed me a bit but yes, I agreed nonetheless." She confessed, feeling a little relieved that she could tell the truth to at least one of her friends.

"So it's all pretend?" She heard Sango ask to follow up the flow of their conversation. The miko didn't know if she guessed right but was that disappointment in her voice? What would she be disappointed about?

Thinking that it was just her imagination, Kagome brushed the thought aside and answered cheerfully, "Yup! All pretend!"

Sango's eyebrows knotted worriedly. "Are you sure this is all right though?" She questioned Kagome carefully, watching the door of the girls' bathroom warily in case anyone entered to overhear their conversation.

Honestly, Kagome didn't like the whole deal that they had to pretend but she had to admit that their act also had its advantages. "It's easier." She told Sango as she continued to brush her stubborn wavy hair some more. "We don't have people questioning us becoming so close to each other." But sometimes, she wished that this act would stop soon before something occurred—something she really didn't want to happen.

"But how about you? What if you suddenly like him—for real?"

Sango's question left Kagome silent for a while, not finding any answer to give to her friend. _'Me? Like Inuyasha?' _She said the words in her head and weighed her chances. Before she could complete her calculations, a loud rapping on the door caught both girls' attentions.

"Oi bitch!" Inuyasha called out, giving the door another loud knock. "What the hell's taking you so long in there?.! If you don't mind, I want to get moving before the next century comes!" Was it just him or Kagome was really doing everything he hated dearly that day? _'Wench is getting on my nerves pretty much…' _He frowned as he threw a glare at the nosy younger schoolgirls that were watching him as they passed by. "What the fuck are you all looking at?.!" He barked at them, making them walk away faster. _'Annoying pests…'_

Kagome mentally groaned, sending a couple of glares towards the door. "All right! Coming out already!" She shouted back, growling a little. _'Why does he always have to forget my name?.!' _She looked at Sango, still feeling annoyed, with a 'What-Were-You-Saying-Again?' look on her face. "Me like that bastard?" She asked, looking at her friend with pure disbelief. "I must be crazy before that happens."

Sango shrugged and simply muttered, "Just asking." The truth was she actually thought Inuyasha and Kagome _did_ like each other. _'Without the insults of course.' _She added to herself as she and Kagome walked towards the exit to finally calm the fuming hanyou standing outside.

'_I like… Inuyasha?' _The miko-in-training gave it another thought as she opened the door of the restroom to be face to face with irked molten gold eyes.

"What is it with women and their love for taking so long inside the restroom?.!" Inuyasha greeted, quickly turning around and walking ahead of them. "Stop dragging your asses and hurry up!" He called over his shoulder.

Kagome scowled. _'No, I'm definitely not crazy.' _She thought as she walked faster to catch up with Inuyasha, Sango following closely behind."You know Inuyasha, I still don't see the point why you insist on coming with me when Sango's already with me." She told Inuyasha when she finally caught up with him.

"It's my decision, deal with it." Inuyasha snapped back without looking at her.

"Isn't it good though? You'll be able to rest a little and you won't have to follow me around." Kagome offered, thinking that Inuyasha should be happy with the arrangement not cranky about it. She didn't quite understand why Inuyasha was so ill-tempered that Sango was joining the mission. _'That means less work for him, doesn't it?'_

Inuyasha threw Kagome a slanted look and said with suspicion in his voice, "Is this some kind of ploy to get me to leave you alone?" _'Hah! Too bad but she won't get away from me that easily!'_

'_Sort of.' _She nearly said but instead the words that came out were,"Well, you obviously don't want to wait that long when I go to the bathroom so I thought I'd just save you the trouble." She gave Inuyasha another sharp look to tell him that he was such an ungrateful jerk. _'I am doing him a favor here, can't he see that?.!'_

'_That's not a bad idea…'_ He began to consider the idea but he kept his face unconcerned, scowling a little to add a little more effect. "Keh!"

"That means 'thank you' in Inuyasha's own little way." Kagome translated to Sango, who just watched silently as the two talked.

Sango had finally come up with a conclusion. Inuyasha and Kagome did have chemistry. _'No wonder Yuka and the others loyally supported their nonexistent relationship and they were able to convince the whole school that they were together.' _

Beyond their quarrels, they did care for each other.

Or they were just very _very_ good pretenders.

x

The teachers' meeting still wasn't done. The students were left either to do some special class activity or play around while their teachers discussed some matters.

Inuyasha was downright bored as he rested his chin on his palm and sulked, looking out the window. His English essay that they were supposed to finish before the hour ended still remained half-done. Why did they have to write about their favorite historical place of all the places? _'Why not favorite place which is not necessarily historical?' _He really hated words that had something to do with history.

He continued to curse their English instructor when all of a sudden he saw Kagome's chair move and Kagome stand up. "Hey, where do you think you're going?.!" He instantly inquired, frowning at her when his eyes noticed that she was holding Sango's hand. In an instant, this caused Inuyasha's eyebrows to become knotted.

"The restroom. I'm bringing Sango with me." was Kagome's simple reply.

She was about to turn around when Inuyasha protested violently, "Again?.!"

Kagome's eyes rolled in their sockets as she stared at Inuyasha squarely. "It's been two hours now and my bladder's full again. I want to go to the restroom." She said calmly and nicely then walked away, ignoring Inuyasha's growls.

"Oi, don't take too long this time!" He called hurriedly before she disappeared behind the door.

"Sheesh, don't worry! I'll be back before you start missing me, okay?" She waved at Inuyasha before closing the door behind her, smiling to herself as she and Sango went on their way.

A few cat calls and cheers from the male population of the class were given to Inuyasha the moment Kagome left. Yuka, Eri and Ayumi were exchanging high fives and were definitely happy with the recent conversation between Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Whatever." Inuyasha gave them all a deadpan look before returning to his sulking.

"Relax, Inuyasha. She's not going to disappear," said Miroku comfortingly, smiling at his friend casually.

"I'm not even tense!" Inuyasha defended as he sneaked a look at the door to see if Kagome had come back. _'I bet she's just using the bathroom excuse so she can leave the classroom without me!' _That thought made him more annoyed than before for some unknown reason.

Miroku saw him and gave him a small smirk. "Riiiiiight."

"Keh!" He looked away from Miroku, absentmindedly drumming his claws on his desk. "I just don't think Sango's right for this job." He said in a low voice, although no one was paying much attention to them by now. All students were either goofing around or seriously writing their essays—_or_ pretending to be seriously writing their essays but were actually goofing around too.

"I've read her file, Inuyasha. Her skills are excellent!" Miroku still believed that the reason why Inuyasha didn't like Sango was because he was jealous of the girl. Kagome practically jumped in joy when she heard that Sango was joining them. She didn't do the same thing when she heard that Inuyasha was going to stay in her house.

Inuyasha frowned some more. "You're just saying that because you plan to hit on her." So much for supportive friends... He knew he could never count on Miroku to back him up on this one. Was he the _only_ one who thought Sango was a bad idea?

Obviously, he was the only one grouchy so…

"And you're just saying she's not right for the job because you're possessive." Miroku commented frankly, still eyeing Inuyasha with those teasing eyes of his.

"I am not!" Inuyasha automatically retorted, acting defensive.

"Yes, you are." Miroku couldn't help but grin at this all too familiar scene.

"I am—" Inuyasha caught himself right on time and glowered at the older agent. "Not playing this game with a stupid, boring, lecherous asshole like you."

Miroku grinned wider at Inuyasha's reply. "So it's exclusive between you and Kagome?"

"You're just not worthy to be my opponent." The hanyou replied listlessly, looking very uninterested to continue their conversation. He turned away from Miroku and rested his arms on his desk, his head resting on his arms while he returned his gaze to the window.

"Choosy _and_ possessive."

The silver-haired hanyou groaned in frustration. Why was Miroku with him in this mission? "Leave me alone." He muttered dismissively, still listening carefully for the sound of the classroom door sliding open. _'She's always taking so long…' _He complained inwardly, wondering how many minutes went by since Kagome had left.

Actually, it was just four minutes but to Inuyasha it felt much longer—much, much longer.

And it was unnerving—more unnerving than having him wait outside the girls' restroom. He was beginning to think it was a bad idea after all. _'Damn it, why am I so restless?.!' _He thought as he stared in irritation at the blue sky outside.

x

"Finally, lunch!" Kagome chirped cheerfully as the three of them made their way to the school cafeteria.

They were supposed to be four but Miroku said he had something to do in the library first. Inuyasha guessed he had something to do in the library _with the librarian_.

Unfortunately, the canteen was also crammed so they couldn't get any seats there. A lot of students were eating outside and it looked like they had no other option but to do the same.

Inuyasha sat unceremoniously on the grass and frowned. Today was not a very good day and he was in a bad mood. The whole morning Kagome had been dragging Sango everywhere and leaving him behind. It was annoying—very _very _annoying.

"**Inuyasha, I have to go and get something. Don't worry, I'll bring Sango with me. You don't need to come anymore, okay?"**

"**Hey Inuyasha, I got to go check out what Miss Homura wants. I'll just bring Sango, okay?"**

"**Inuyasha, I got to help clean the Home Economics room. You can go ahead. Sango will stay behind, okay?" **

It was _not_ okay. Inuyasha was completely pissed off. All of a sudden, Kagome's mouth always spoke Sango's name and it was not making Inuyasha feel happy at all. He reached out for his packed lunch when all of a sudden Kagome gasped.

"Oh no! I forgot to bring water!" She quickly stood up and got Sango's hand. "I'll just go buy some drinks for us, okay?" She started leaving, bringing Sango with her.

And leaving Inuyasha alone with the food.

Inuyasha emitted a low growl in his throat. "Hey wench! If you think I'm go—"

"I know! I won't get the lemon flavored one for you!" Kagome shouted back and continued walking.

"Bitch." He growled, sighing in annoyance as he watched Kagome and Sango leave. _'It's not even a day yet since Sango joined the mission but apparently she has done a lot of stuff already. It's obvious that Kagome prefers her over me. I won't be surprised if she'll take Sango home with us later.' _He thought, opening the lunch Kagome's mother had packed for him. _'Who knows, maybe I will be out of this mission before this day ends.' _He shrugged and started to eat his food.

Surprisingly, he wasn't feeling tingles of excitement at that thought.

x

"Here!"

Inuyasha took the drink from Kagome wordlessly and resumed his eating. Kagome sat down across him and picked up her own food. "Hey Sango, where's Yuka, Eri and Ayumi? Aren't they eating lunch?" Usually, those three ate with them but today they disappeared when the lunch bell rung.

Sango also seemed puzzled that the three were nowhere to be seen. "I'm not sure where—oh there they are!" She pointed to the three girls that were walking towards them and was shocked when they suddenly took hold of her. "Hey!" She protested as they tried to pull her to her feet.

"We have an emergency!" Yuka said seriously as she hurriedly took Sango's stuff.

"What emergency?.!" Kagome asked, looking panicked and worried at the same time.

Eri and Ayumi looked at Kagome for a second then to Inuyasha.

"Excuse us for a bit!" Eri said to Inuyasha as she grabbed Kagome's hand and the five girls huddled together a few feet away from Inuyasha.

"We're taking Sango with us." Yuka said with determination to Kagome.

"What?.! Why?.!" Kagome knotted her eyebrows in confusion. She thought there was an emergency and all they were doing was talking here?

"Can't you tell that Inuyasha's sulking?.!" Ayumi pointed an accusing finger at Kagome and frowned at her. She couldn't believe that Kagome would do something that would endanger her relationship with Inuyasha. "Kagome, he's upset about something."

Kagome was even more confused. "He's always sulking. I'm already used to it." She told her friends while still trying to figure out what had brought up all of these. "He'll be fine later, you'll see." She added when they still looked unconvinced.

"He's jealous." It was Sango who spoke this time.

"Huh?" Kagome couldn't help but gape this time. "Sango!" She looked at her with disbelieving eyes. _'Not you too!' _She protested in her head. _'Why is everyone thinking that Inuyasha and I are really together?.!.? Are we really that convincing?.!' _

Eri nodded, showing her agreement with Sango. "You tend to spend more time with Sango today and that's upsetting Inuyasha." She said with certainty.

"It's not like I'm abandoning him!" Kagome tried to defend herself. Why were her friends doing this to her? They were supposed to believe her, not Inuyasha!

"He feels left out, I think." Yuka looked at Kagome disapprovingly. "Kagome, you better apologize to him."

"Since when did you become Inuyasha's interpreter?" Kagome was finding their conversation more and more absurd. First of all, Inuyasha didn't look upset to her. He was just in a bad mood but that didn't mean it had something to do with her, right? _'Also, Inuyasha and I don't have that kind of relationship anyway! Why are they so concerned about us?.!' _

"We're just saying you better talk to him before he gets really gloomy." Ayumi looked pretty worried, seeing that Kagome didn't seem bothered about Inuyasha's current behavior.

"You know, you're just exaggerating. Inuyasha's fine! See? He's eating his food!" Kagome looked at Inuyasha and was contented to see that he was indeed eating his food. He seemed unbothered and didn't look even a bit concerned about their conversation.

"Since when did eating food become the basis of a person's wellness?" Sango asked Kagome.

"Sick people don't eat their food, you know!" Why couldn't they just drop the topic and leave her alone? Sometimes, her friends were too concerned about her that it was getting really ridiculous.

"Whatever." Yuka waved her hand dismissingly and smiled sweetly at Kagome. "Just go and talk to Inuyasha, Sango's staying with us." She placed her hands on Kagome's shoulders and gave her a slight push. "Go on."

"You're evil." Kagome commented, narrowing her eyes at her friends.

"We're helping you save your relationship." Eri said solemnly.

"Wow, thanks." She replied dryly and grudgingly walked back to where Inuyasha was sitting. Maybe she should talk to Inuyasha and ask him.

Inuyasha didn't lift his head when Kagome came back. "What happened to Sango?" He asked casually, not looking at Kagome while he asked his question.

"Emergency girl talk."

"You're not going with them?"

"Not necessary."

Inuyasha shrugged. Whatever it was that they were talking about definitely didn't concern him. All he was concerned about was doing his job. That was all. But Kagome didn't seem to want Inuyasha doing the job anymore…

"So… isn't it great that Sango's in the mission?" Kagome started, breaking the silence between them. _'I'm going to prove them that Inuyasha's just fine! They'll see!'_

"Yeah." He answered languidly. "Very." He even added. Astonishingly, he managed to say that without any sarcasm. _'Not great.' _He thought as he looked at Kagome closely, wondering what was going on inside her head. _'What is she up to?'_

'_Okay… that didn't go quite well.' _She thought, getting nothing from Inuyasha's answer. She took a deep breath and then asked out of the blue, "You're not depressed, are you?"

"Depressed? Why will I be depressed?" Inuyasha asked, looking shocked with Kagome's question. _'Damn it! If Miroku is behind this, I swear I'm going to kill him!' _He thought as he continued to feign surprise.

Kagome studied Inuyasha for a while and sighed. So she was correct. Nothing was bothering Inuyasha. "It's silly actually," said Kagome softly while blushing slightly. "Yuka, Eri and Ayumi are thinking you're upset because I spend more time with Sango today. They said you're being left out but of course I know that that isn't true! They're just making a big fuss because they really think you're my boyfriend." She laughed a little and added, "I guess we really are good at acting."

"Your friends are so _concerned_, aren't they?" He commented sardonically, sulking some more. _'Nosy bitches. Depressed, my ass!' _He mentally told himself that he was not miserable—even a bit! He was just _not_ happy. But not depressed.

_Definitely_ not depressed.

"I don't know why they think you're upset about Sango." Kagome really didn't understand why her friends would say that. She closed her lunch box and returned it inside her bag. "In fact, you should be happy now, right? You need not to worry about me that much so you get to rest more."

Inuyasha leaned back, resting on the soft green grass. He pillowed his head against his arms and looked at the sky. "Yeah, it's good that I get to have some break away from you. Instead of tailing you, at least I can rest more now." He replied indifferently. But at the back of his mind, he was thinking, _'That is if I get to rest. How can I rest when I don't know where the heck you're always running to!.?'_

Kagome smiled a little at Inuyasha but it quickly vanished. _'See? Nothing to worry about. Inuyasha's fine with it. Why wouldn't he be? He prefers not to follow me around so I bet he's so happy about it!' _She could feel a bit of disappointment starting to grow in her heart at Inuyasha's words. _'But why do I feel unhappy with his reaction…?' _She gazed at Inuyasha silently, his silvery white hair perfectly contrasting the green grass he was lying on.

"You're starting to drool." Inuyasha said coolly, smirking a little as he caught Kagome's eyes staring at him.

"What?.! I'm not drooling!" Kagome disagreed violently, feeling her cheeks heat up a little. "You're always so conceited." She scowled at him.

"That's because I have a reason to be." He answered back, smirking even more at Kagome's scowl. "Kagome Higurashi was ogling me." He lay on his side and propped one arm to support his head, his wild amber eyes looking teasingly at her.

Kagome blushed even harder. It wasn't helping that she was guilty of looking at Inuyasha and she was caught in the act too. "I wasn't ogling you! I was just looking at you!" She tried to defend herself but to no avail.

"See? You even admitted it! I'm flattered." Inuyasha grinned boyishly, taking notice of Kagome's current flushed face.

Kagome groaned in frustration, wanting to make things clear with Inuyasha. She couldn't let him think that she was _really _ogling him. _'His ego doesn't need any more boost.' _She thought as she emphasized each word she spoke. "I said I was just _looking_ at you."

The dog hanyou shrugged then smiled smugly at Kagome. "Who knows what you were thinking while you were eyeing me…" He looked directly into Kagome's eyes and ever so slowly, a suggestive mischievous smile made its way on his lips.

"Definitely not what you're thinking right now!" Kagome hurriedly countered, glaring at Inuyasha.

"I bet you were thinking just that." He smirked once again, watching Kagome's brown eyes dance with irritation, then went back to lie on his back again. "I don't mind actually." He looked at Kagome from the corner of his eyes, his smirk widening even more.

She was blushing again.

"Dream on, Inuyasha." She threw back at him, hating herself for blushing deeply. _'I bet he's enjoying this a lot!' _She thought, wanting desperately to have a change of topic. "Oh yeah, I was tasked to arrange some things in the faculty room. I think it's better if I'll bring Sango instead of you because she is also doing a task there today. You just rest and wait for me at the archery fields. I'll ask Sango to drop me there after we finish."

His smirk instantly vanished but he kept his face apathetic and answered briefly, "Sure." _'Damn it.'_

Just when he thought things were getting better.

x

"It's a good thing Sango caught the vase before I totally dropped it. Jeez, that would have caused me a lot!" Kagome continued to talk as they neared the door of Higurashi residence.

"Yeah, it's a _good_ thing Sango was there." Inuyasha replied with a hint of mockery, his eyes looking straight ahead. _'Keh! I bet I could have caught that same vase if I was the one there!' _He thought as irritation built inside him.

'_Is that sarcasm in Inuyasha's voice?'_ Kagome looked at Inuyasha sideways and began to worry. She was starting to notice that Inuyasha was too sarcastic than normal. She knew Inuyasha could be sarcastic at times but something felt not right. _'Is he angry at me? Did I take too long?' _She wondered, trying to recall anything that might be the reason for Inuyasha's current behavior. _'Or maybe I'm just being paranoid.'_ "Are you all right, Inuyasha?" She asked hesitantly. "You seem a little um… tired?" _'Hasn't he rested enough yet?' _

"I guess doing nothing is also tiring." He replied bitingly, yanking the door open. "I'll be in my room _if ever_ you need me." He emphasized the sarcasm this time and walked towards the stairs, leaving Kagome befuddled.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome tried to call Inuyasha back but he didn't even look back. _'What just happened?' _She asked to herself and came up with no answer.

x

"Are you sure Sango's a good idea?" Inuyasha asked on his mobile phone, sitting up on his bed. Again, he was holding the locket that Kikyou had given to him before, his thumb absentmindedly tracing the pattern of the Chinese bellflower engraved on it.

Inuyasha detected a soft sigh coming from the other end of the phone. "She's perfect for the job. I heard from Miroku that Kagome's happy about it too." He heard Kikyou say along with some rustling of papers. He frowned at the words he had heard. Was it really just him who wasn't exactly happy with the arrangement?

"She was _too_ happy!" He said through his gritted teeth, finding himself glaring at the black puppy Kagome had given to him. He looked away immediately and returned his gaze on the necklace he was holding. _'That wench…'_

"Good then," replied Kikyou nonchalantly. It was somehow interesting, the way Inuyasha was protecting his job now. Before, he was so keen on throwing the job to somebody else but now he seemed to be holding it tightly and not even considering the idea of getting more people to help. _'Perhaps, he's starting to realize the importance of his job?' _She thought with a soft smile playing on her lips.

Inuyasha held his head, massaging it lightly. "You don't get me! Kagome's practically bringing Sango everywhere and she's leaving me behind!" Was there no way to convince Kikyou at all?

It was clear to Kikyou what Inuyasha wanted in this conversation but she didn't think it was wise to take Sango off the mission. Now that she knew that Hell's Gate was indeed trying to get Kagome, it was better to have more people guarding her. "That's all right. Sango can protect Kagome even without you, Inuyasha." She reassured him.

"But Kagome's my charge!" The hanyou argued back, all of a sudden gripping the pendant tightly.

"And Sango's there to help you," said Kikyou patiently. "Just like Miroku's there."

"That's what I don't get! Miroku's with me in this mission and you still give me another. Do you think I'm really that incompetent?.!" Inuyasha snapped. All of the things he'd been hearing from Kikyou seemed to fuel his anger.

She mentally sighed before answering, "You know very well that that's not my reason, Inuyasha. Also, what are you so riled up—"

"Who said I was riled up?.!"

Kikyou ignored Inuyasha's interruption and went on. "As I was saying, you shouldn't be so riled up. You're still the one in command in this mission."

Inuyasha scowled audibly. "Doesn't look like that anymore." He muttered, throwing another pissed off look at the innocent puppy stuffed toy lying on his desk. He was having a feeling that the said stuffed animal was laughing at him.

"Go talk to Kagome about this. I think it's the two of you who needs to talk." She suggested to the aggravated hanyou.

"I think I'll do that," said Inuyasha grouchily. "When hell freezes over."

There was no hope at all. She knew Inuyasha was too stubborn to listen to anything she said. "Your call." Maybe he would be able to fix things on his own.

"Yeah. Definitely mine." He replied obstinately.

"Call me when something more interesting comes up." She returned.

"As you wish, princess." Inuyasha said with a hint of teasing in his voice. "I'll call you when I'm out of this job and back at my apartment. Maybe, that will be more interesting for you." Still, he wasn't contented with the way their conversation had turned out. Sango was still in the mission and Kikyou was being difficult—as usual.

Kikyou shook her head from side to side, smiling slightly. "I told you, I am not taking you out of the job Inuyasha."

"Then how about you take someone else out of the job? Three's really a crowd and I really don't—"

"Inuyasha…" Kikyou said his name warningly.

The Solferis agent quickly noted that she was using her scary voice. That meant he had to stop now or else… "All right, all right. I'm shutting up already." He said, giving up at last. "But if Sango starts giving me orders, don't expect me to follow them." He added.

"Don't worry, she won't. She knows that you're the team leader in this mission." Kikyou answered in return.

'_I just wish Kagome knows that as well.' _He thought to himself, vanishing the thought of a certain black-haired miko in his head."If you say so, your highness." This time, he allowed himself to smile. He looked down at the pendant on his hand and said gently, "Good night, Kikyou."

"Good night, Inuyasha." She smiled a little as she hung up. _'Inuyasha is weird sometimes.'_ One minute he was shouting at her and the next he was saying good night with so much gentleness. But she brushed the thought aside and went back to work.

She never allowed herself to linger on that thought or return to that thought once more. Because if she did, she might think about something else too—something she always considered as impossible.

x

"Inuyasha, I need your help." Kagome said earnestly, her eyes looking very serious and determined. Two seconds passed and that determination vanished. "Argh! What will I do if he rejects me?.!.? Why did he have to be angry now?.!" She kept on pacing across her room, carrying her Math notebook as she ranted. All of a sudden she stopped and said hopefully, "Or maybe he's not really angry?" A nagging voice inside her said otherwise.

She heaved a sigh. What was she going to do now?

"Hey, neechan." Souta greeted as he entered his elder sister's room, immediately settling himself on Kagome's bed. Buyo followed the little boy and curled contentedly on his feet.

"So, what do you think?" She asked Souta nervously. "Is Inuyasha in a bad mood?" She watched Souta pick up Buyo from his feet, putting the fat cat on his lap.

"Nope." Souta answered, lightly flicking Buyo's ears to make the cat tweak his ears. "He said he's just busy doing homework that's why he didn't play with me after dinner."

"Really?" _'So that's why he immediately went upstairs after dinner? It's not because he's avoiding me?' _Her spirit lightened after hearing Souta's words. There might be a chance after all.

Souta looked at his sister curiously and questioned, "Why are you thinking that Inuyasha's in a bad mood anyway?" The way his sister was fussing about Inuyasha's mood was fishy. _'Heh… maybe Inuyasha-niichan and neechan are having a lover's quarrel?' _It would be cool if Inuyasha was Kagome's boyfriend. At least, he knew his sister was going to be safe.

"Oh nothing, just a hunch!" Kagome threw out, not looking at her brother. "Okay, go to bed now. I need to do my homework too." She pulled Souta from her bed and hurriedly ushered him to the door. "Good night!"

"Uh… good night." Souta hesitantly returned only to find himself staring back at the door. Scratching the back of his head, he turned around and walked to his room. _'I knew it! Neechan must like Inuyasha-niichan! Now, all we need to know is if Inuyasha-niichan likes neechan too!' _He thought and grinned to himself.

x

'_Okay! I can do this! I'll just knock and ask for his help.' _Kagome thought, eyes sparking with determination. She raised her hand to knock but stopped just before she made contact with the door. _'Don't think anymore, Kagome!' _She scolded herself inwardly, gathering up her courage once again. "I need to do this or I'll be dead!" She reminded herself. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the black-haired schoolgirl knocked.

On something that definitely didn't feel like a door.

Oops.

She opened one eye tentatively and saw Inuyasha standing in front of her. She quickly looked away and grinned sheepishly, "Um…" She quickly noticed that her hand was still raised so she hastily lowered it and hid it behind her back. "Well…" All courage seemed to abandon her now that she was face to face with the said hanyou.

Inuyasha wasn't expecting to see Kagome when he pulled the door open. He was about to go downstairs to get something to eat while doing his assignment and there she was knocking on his door—on him actually. "Well… what?" He copied her mockingly, raising his right hand and resting it on the door frame while he looked at Kagome with annoyance to hide his surprise.

She could feel herself blushing a little at their proximity so she took one step backwards before raising her eyes to him. "I was just…" Loose black pants and matching loose black shirt. They looked nice on him and even highlighted his deep amber eyes. She would have glued her eyes on him, admiring him at this moment, but his glaring eyes made her look down instead, shifting uncomfortably in her post.

Inuyasha growled lightly, trying to figure out what she wanted in the first place. "What do you want?" He shifted his eyes to the left but his pissed off expression remained. The idea of food was completely forgotten. All he wanted was to go back inside his room and avoid his charge.

"I was wondering if…" Her eyes strayed to the Math notebook on her left hand until all of a sudden, a thought struck her. "Hey wait a second! What are you so angry about anyway?.!" She asked, placing her hands on her hips and looking a little put out as well. This time she looked at him straight in the eyes but it was Inuyasha who was now avoiding the eye contact.

"Who said I'm angry?" He questioned back, his eyes still averted from Kagome. Unknown to him, he was sinking his claws a bit on the door frame he had been gripping. His temper was slowly rising.

She stared back at him as if to say, 'Duh! You were glaring at me and you definitely look angry!'

Inuyasha caught the way she stared at him from the corner of his eyes. He didn't like their conversation at all. "Keh! You think you always know what I feel!" He scoffed with an air of irritation, his eyes more interested on the door frame than the miko in front of him. All he needed to do was vex her so she would walk out from their conversation.

"I don't." Kagome answered honestly, her voice like a whisper and her eyes looking down towards the floor._ 'But sometimes I wish I do.' _She wanted to say as well but she decided against it.

"…" He didn't expect her to answer that. His golden yellow orbs all of a sudden stared at her but she was the one not looking at him this time.

Kagome shrugged uncaringly when she heard no reply from Inuyasha. _'It's his decision.' _"Anyway, I just came here to ask for your help in our homework. But I guess you're not feeling charitable tonight and you want me out of your sight." She turned on her heels and was about to walk away when Inuyasha spoke.

"Why don't you ask Sango? After all, you _always_ ask for her help, don't you?" There was bitterness in his tone when he spoke, his sharp eyes scoffing at Kagome silently.

She took notice of Inuyasha's tone but she let it pass. She thought it would only bring more problems to them if she confronted him tonight. "Math is not her best subject. I was expecting that you could help me but you seem busy so…" Her voice trailed off as she glanced at the door next to Inuyasha's room. "I think I'll just go back to my room."

Inuyasha smirked, looking at Kagome as she walked towards her room—which was just several meters away from his. "So you mean you would have asked her help if she were good in Math?"

"Maybe." She answered, looking over her shoulder. "Who else can I turn to if you aren't available?" _'Now that's the problem… Who else can I turn to now?.?.?' _She laughed forcefully at Inuyasha. "I'm okay. I'm okay." She assured him, turning her head back to the front. _'Stupid, he wasn't asking you if you were okay!' _She scolded herself.

"Who would you prefer to ask for help?" He wondered about that in his mind and without knowing it, he had said it aloud. His whole body tensed when he saw Kagome freeze in her post. She had definitely heard him!

Kagome stopped dead on her tracks and instantly looked back at Inuyasha. "Huh?" Her eyes filled with confusion. She knew Inuyasha had spoken but she wasn't able to catch his words clearly.

"N-Nothing." He could feel his heart beating furiously inside his chest and his cheeks were heating up. "I said it was nothing, okay?.!" He repeated, feeling the miko's eyes still looking at him with suspicion.

"I didn't say anything, you know…" She told him half-heartedly, not noticing Inuyasha's blush. _'What a weirdo.' _She thought and headed once more for her room.

"Oi!"

"What?" Kagome inquired, looking surprised that Inuyasha had spoken again. Was she going to be stuck standing in the corridor the whole night? _'No way! I still have Math homework to do!'_

"If you still need help in Math, come in." The door closed immediately after that.

'_Did he just…?' _She mused, unsure of what she had heard. Heaving a sigh, she turned on her heels and retraced her steps to Inuyasha's room. She opened the door and peeked her head inside. Inuyasha was seated in front of his study table, reading a book. "Um… Did you just—"

"Let me see your work." He interrupted, not bothering to look over his shoulder.

'_He did say it then…' _A gentle smile found its way on Kagome's lips then she laughed nervously. "Ehehe… I wasn't able to solve any."

"What?.!" Inuyasha looked at her in slight annoyance, sighing inwardly. "Fine, sit here so we can start." He vacated the chair he was sitting on and gestured Kagome to take it.

Kagome nodded and walked closer to the study table. _'I wonder what made him change his mind all of a sudden…' _She thought, chancing a look at Inuyasha as she sat down.

"You better learn fast because I'm not repeating this anymore. Got it?" He warned her, putting on a frown. He didn't understand his own actions. Why did he suddenly agree to help her?

She smiled brightly at Inuyasha, ignoring his scowling face. "All right! I'll be very attentive!" She promised, looking really lively and happy at that moment.

"Jeez… Looking so happy while doing homework, you're so weird."He commented, scratching his head lightly and still looking sulky.

"It's because you agreed to teach me. I wouldn't know what to do if you didn't help me." She smiled gratefully at the Solferis agent and added, "I seriously thought you were mad at me but I'm glad to know that I was wrong."

He was annoyed all right—pretty much, in fact. Being ignored the whole day and feeling useless and not needed, who wouldn't feel that way? He placed his notebook in front of Kagome and pointed at the formula written on it, saying calmly, "Use this one for the first two problems. I'll check your work after you're done."

But now, somehow… It didn't matter anymore.

"Okay." She glanced at Inuyasha and was instantly relieved at what she saw, her heart feeling lighter and her mood brighter. _'He's not frowning anymore.' _

Inuyasha got the book he was previously reading and sat down on his bed. Making sure that his face was hidden from Kagome's line of view, he slowly smirked and thought, _'It's a good thing I'm good in Math.'_

'_And I'm still the best person who can protect Kagome.' _ His confidence was clearly seen in his smirk.

His insecurity came and went without Kagome realizing it.

x

"And you said you would pay attention! I told you that this formula is not the same as the one that you're using! Why did you use it for the last problem?.!" He shouted impatiently, slamming her notebook back on his desk and glowering at his charge. "I can't believe you're this stupid!" He flopped elegantly on the bed, lying on his side so that he was still facing Kagome. "Do it again! If you get it wrong again, I'm already going to sleep." He callously ordered, raising the book he was reading at the level of his eyes.

Kagome glared back at the book Inuyasha was holding since she couldn't see his face at the moment. "You're so mean! You should have patience with me!" She turned to look back at her notebook and erased her previous answer. _'Arrogant bastard! Who does he think he is?.!'_

"Keh!" He scoffed back, lowering the book for a while to shoot deadly stares at Kagome's way. "Who would have patience with a bitchy girl like you?.!"

'_Bitchy?.! Inuyasha be thankful I'm so kind or I would have purified you by now!' _She gripped her pencil tighter and forced herself not to look at Inuyasha's direction. _'Don't look at him anymore. Just solve the problem so you can get away from here.' _She was looking at Inuyasha's notebook, which was lying on the right corner of the desk, to compare her work when her eyes found a familiar article lying on the desk. _'That necklace…' _She reached for it and inspected it silently. It was definitely the same locket she had found last time—the one with the design of a Chinese bellflower on it.

"Who do you plan to give it to?" It was out of curiosity that she had asked him that question. Out of the blue, she remembered the two letters that she saw inside the pendant.

_KH_

'_I-It's not like I'm expecting him to give it to me!' _She argued in her mind, her heart suddenly starting to beat faster on its own._ 'That's impossible!' _She continued to think, not daring to look at Inuyasha. Her heart was beating so loudly that she feared Inuyasha could hear it too.

"Huh?" Inuyasha wasn't so sure what she was talking about so he peeked from his book and found Kikyou's necklace in Kagome's hands.

"I mean the pendant." The miko answered casually.

"It's mine." He answered without hesitation, his eyes not looking at Kagome. Instead, his amber eyes were trained on the locket, watching Kagome's hand hold it securely.

She never expected that answer from Inuyasha and actually, she didn't believe it. "No way! It's a girl's locket! You must be planning to give it to someone, right?" Now that her heart wasn't racing anymore, she decided to tease Inuyasha a little. "You don't need to be so shy about it! Who's it for?" She grinned at Inuyasha, opening the pendant. She somehow wanted to make certain that what she had seen before was real. Maybe it wasn't really _KH_ that was written inside. Maybe she was just hallucinating back then.

But before she could take a good look at the opened locket, Inuyasha's hand was all of a sudden gripping hers, the pendant trapped in her fist. She raised her head to look at Inuyasha and found him to be glaring at her. She could tell that he was pissed off with her.

"Who's being shy?.!" Inuyasha carefully opened her closed fist and hurriedly snatched the necklace. "I said it's mine and I'm not giving it away to anyone!" Closing the locket once again, he deposited it on his pocket and returned on his bed. He returned to lying on his side comfortably, picked up his book and resumed reading—like nothing had happened.

Kagome sat still on her chair, trying to process what had just happened. Was that possessiveness in Inuyasha's voice? So it was really his? He bought it for himself? "Inuyasha… don't tell me…" She was horrified with the thought but it wasn't impossible to happen. She heard from her classmates that some good-looking men were like that. "Are you—?"

"I'm not!" Inuyasha cut her off, lowering his book to give her a 'How-Dare-You-Accuse-Me-Of-Such-A-Disgusting-Thing' look.

"You're not gay?" Kagome blinked, half-surprised that Inuyasha knew what she was about to ask and half-relieved that he wasn't gay. She even released a subconscious sigh of relief in front of Inuyasha.

But Inuyasha didn't notice Kagome's action because he was too anxious to refute her thinking to notice anything else. "I said NO!" He was still lying on the bed but he looked very annoyed and ready to kick her out soon.

"Sure?" Still, Kagome couldn't help but tease Inuyasha. In her opinion, he looked rather cute when he was flustered. His eyes had this certain gleam that made him totally adorable to Kagome.

'_This wench is really pushing me, isn't she?' _His deep yellow eyes glinted predatorily and his lips began to curl into a mischievous smile."Want me to prove it to you?" He quickly sat up and looked like he was ready to jump her.

"No thanks!" As speedy as lightning, she pushed her chair back to distance herself some more from Inuyasha and even bent her legs on her seat, in case he tried to reach for her legs. The way his eyes looked at her at the moment didn't look cute at all! He looked like he was really going to do _something bad_. Kagome's face was so red she could swear all her blood supply was currently on her face.

"Sure?" His voice was husky and tempting, just like a devil trying to seduce an angel to do something nasty. He enjoyed the way Kagome looked trapped in a corner with nowhere to run. _'Who's getting flustered now?' _

"Argh! Don't come near me! Stay there!" She pointed her pencil in front of her as a form of protection, feeling very nervous. Her heart was beating madly and Inuyasha was still looking at her with that _predatory _eyes. "This isn't a good joke, you know!"She wanted to run but she was afraid that if she would leave her seat, Inuyasha would suddenly tackle her or something.

Inuyasha couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst into loud fits of laughter, even rolling on the bed as he laughed. "You looked like you were ready to bolt if I moved even an inch towards you!" He grinned at her and chuckled all over again. Kagome's freaked out expression was priceless for Inuyasha.

She relaxed herself and faced the desk. "Jerk." She muttered under her breath, taking a random notebook on his desk and throwing it at Inuyasha. "Don't pull that stunt again or I'll purify you!" She glared at him for two seconds then returned to her work. _'He's so annoying!'_

He caught the thrown article easily and grinned. "I was just fooling around! You don't need to be so hostile." Sitting up on his bed, he leaned back on the wall and got his book again. "You almost done?"

"Wait…"

A few seconds of silence enveloped them. Kagome copied the correct formula from Inuyasha's notes and began to solve until she found herself stuck on one equation. Her mind seemed stuck as well. "So… who gave it to you then?" She asked, returning to the topic she was previously interested in. _'Oh that's why… I got this substitution wrong.'_

Inuyasha didn't look at Kagome but he continued to read his book. "Back to that?.! Don't you know that it's rude to stick your nose into other people's business?"

"Your mother?" It was amazing. She could do Math while talking to Inuyasha! Before, she would lose her concentration in a conversation because Math was too difficult. Maybe she was getting better?

"No."

"Aunt?"

"No."

"Girl cousin?"

"No."

"Girl neighbor?"

"No."

"Girlfriend?" She found herself holding her breath as she waited for his answer.

"No such thing." He replied plainly, just like his other answers. "Stop pestering me!" He was getting annoyed with all the questions she had been asking to him. _'Why is she so nosy?.!' _He complained, flipping a page on his book. _'And why is this book so annoying! I can't find anything good to write!' _He cursed their History teacher for giving such a difficult homework.

'_No such thing?' _She mentally sighed at that. _'Wait—what am I feeling relieved for?.!' _She blushed slightly but thankfully, Inuyasha was not looking at her.She recalled the way Inuyasha had retrieved the pendant back then. He didn't simply snatch it from her like she had expected him to do. _'He's afraid that he might damage the necklace. Even though he did snatch it, he was still very careful. It's unusual. He didn't do things rashly this time.' _With these thoughts, she was even more curious to know more about that necklace. "I'm done. You can check my work now!" She stood up and handed her notebook to Inuyasha.

"Last question."

Inuyasha looked up from Kagome's notebook, finally contented that she got it right this time. "What?"

'_Is the person who gave the necklace very important to you? Who is she? Do I know her? Where is she now? Do you want to see her? Is it okay that you stay by my side? Is she okay that you're staying at another girl's side instead of hers?' _Those were the things she wanted to ask but they were too long and too hard to say. Her heart felt like it was choking. "Are you sure you didn't buy the necklace for yourself?" _'I'm a coward__.'_

Inuyasha stood up and panned Kagome's head lightly with her notebook. "I told you I'm not fucking gay!.!.!" He grumbled, looking vexed again. He took a seat in front of his desk and got a notebook and a pen. "Annoying wench." He muttered.

"Just asking!" Kagome smiled sheepishly, not knowing herself why she had asked that question. "A lot of handsome boys tend to be gay you know. That very long hair of yours is very suspicious and a lot of your fangirls will surely be disappointed if you were—okay, I'm babbling now." She clapped her hand on her mouth to shut herself. _'I think this is a good time to start leaving.' _She was about to say she was leaving when Inuyasha spoke.

"Heh…" A victorious smirk was plastered on his face and that made Kagome nervous once more. "So you finally admit that you find me attractive. That's the first."

"EH?.?.?" Kagome gasped, searching her memory for such event.

"**A lot of handsome boys tend to be gay you know."**

"I didn't say you were attractive!" She argued, her cheeks flaming red. _'At least not directly.'_

"You were implying the same thing." Inuyasha shrugged, still smirking at her. He really loved teasing Kagome.

"No, I wasn't!" She denied insistently, panicking a little. _'Come on, change of topic! Got to have a change of topic!' _She suddenly clapped her hands together and stood beside Inuyasha. "Ah! What are you doing? Is that the History homework for tomorrow?.!" She grabbed the notebook lying on Inuyasha's desk and scanned it. "Hey! You haven't written anything yet!" She pointed at the blank sheets of his notebook, looking shocked.

Inuyasha inwardly smiled at Kagome's lame way of escaping him but he let her get away with it. He was busy anyway. "Well… It's stupid. I can't find anything good to write." He took the notebook back from her and sighed.

"You can start by commenting about how the soldiers were brave and dedicated to their mission. Plus, they didn't give up even though it was actually hopeless." She suggested with a cheerful smile.

"That's what you call stupidity. They knew it was a lost battle yet they still fought. See where they end up? Dead bodies." That was his honest opinion about the topic but he knew that wouldn't look too good. He would surely get a failing grade if he said something so bad without much proof.

"Dummy! You can't put that! Our teacher said put good comments, right?" She gave Inuyasha's head a good whack and laughed. It was so much like Inuyasha to say such things.

"I told you I can't think of anything good in that battle!" Inuyasha scowled like a small kid being lectured by his tutor.

"Argh! You're really annoying!" She cried out exasperatedly, planting her hands on her hips. "Just write what I'm going to tell you!"

Inuyasha couldn't believe it. He was just tutoring Kagome a while ago and it ended up with him being tortured by her. His luck must be very bad. "Aren't you supposed to go back now?" He wondered, trying to get rid of her before she thought of more ways to torment him.

"No way! I have to make sure you do your homework correctly first!" She insisted with her usual stubbornness, smiling widely. _'It's a good thing I can help him at something in return.' _

To Inuyasha's ears, Kagome words were, 'No way! I have to make you suffer some more first!' and her smile was definitely a scary one. It was pretty all right but he knew deep inside, she was planning to torture him. "You really need to get back to your room now." He told her.

"Just start writing! Put bravery, loyalty and dedication as their strong points!" She ignored Inuyasha statement and looked at his History textbook. "You can even add determination and then you can site the instances on these pages. See?"

"Wench—"

"You're welcome, Inuyasha." She smiled at him kindly and went to sit on Inuyasha's bed. "I'll sit here, okay?"

"Keh!" He looked away from her and down at his notes. _'She's stubborn to the core!' _

'_I guess he doesn't mind then.' _She contented herself in just watching Inuyasha silently. At least, she had nothing more to worry. All of her assignments were done.

Inuyasha paused his writing and looked at Kagome's direction. "Won't this look fake if we keep praising them?" He asked, still not feeling good that he had to praise them even though they were a bunch of losers.

"Well you can put criticisms I guess but don't make it too negative! The teacher said good comments, remember?" She reminded him then adding as an afterthought, "Plus, even though they died, their deaths weren't in vain because they completed their mission."

It was true. At least, Inuyasha could give them that credit. They died but for a reason—a reason they believed was worthy of such sacrifice. "I guess so." He answered and continued with his work.

Kagome subconsciously wondered what time it was. _'Probably almost midnight?' _She opened her mouth and let out a quiet yawn. Before she knew it, her eyes were drooping bit by bit and her body was starting to slowly rest on the soft mattress.

"How about this—" Inuyasha stopped when he found Kagome now asleep on his bed. "What a bother! That's why I told her to go back already!" He griped, frowning as he looked at Kagome's slumbering form. With an exasperated sigh, he decided to finish his essay first and then he would go and wake up Kagome.

It only took about ten more minutes and he was finally done. He stacked his notebooks in a neat pile and tidied his desk. After finishing, he stood up and walked towards his bed, kneeling on his bedside. "Hey, Kago—" He stopped his hand before he could touch her shoulder.

Again, he couldn't help but notice the strong resemblance Kagome had to Kikyou when she was asleep. When Kagome slept, her face was relaxed and calm just like the way Kikyou's face always looked. "Maybe Kagome's right…" He whispered to himself, sitting on the floor and silently gazing at Kagome's serene face.

"**And you're always so selfish!" **

"**You don't care about others as long as you get what you want!" **

"I am selfish." He sneered, pulling the blanket to protect Kagome's body from the cold. _'Sleep well, Kikyou.' _He smiled softly as he watched her sleep peacefully. _'I'll always be here for you.' _

He knew it was wrong to pretend. It was wrong to think of her as someone else. They were different but for now, he really wanted to see Kikyou.

Even though it was just a shadow of her in Kagome.

x

'_I wonder if Inuyasha finished his homework.' _She opened her eyes to find herself staring into deep molten amber eyes. "Inuyasha… did you—"

"Sleep well, Kagome." He said to her softly, filled with gentleness and warmth. Then he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"WAIT! This is impossible!" She gasped, sitting up in a flash. She looked around the room but Inuyasha was nowhere to be found. _'So it was a dream?' _She raised her hand to her forehead as if searching for evidence. _'It must be a dream. It can't be real…'_

The door burst up and revealed Inuyasha. "Great! You're finally up!" Inuyasha greeted her, walking across the room towards his closet. "You want to go first?" He asked over his shoulder.

"Go…? Where?" She looked around in a daze, not having a hint of what Inuyasha was talking about. _'What a weird dream that was.' _She looked back at Inuyasha then realized something. She looked at her hands. They were gripping _dark green_ sheets.

Why were her bed sheets colored dark green? They were supposed to be red!

"Wha-What am I doing here?.!" Finally, it dawned to her that she was not in her own room but in Inuyasha's room—_on Inuyasha's bed_. "WHAT AM I DOING IN YOUR BED?.!" She freaked out even more, quickly getting out of the said bed.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. "What the hell are you freaking out for? You slept in my bed! It's no big deal!" He turned his back once more and continued to rummage his closet for some clothes.

'_WHAT?.!' _Kagome felt like her body was struck by lightning. "Don't tell me you—you—you pervert!" She yelled, throwing a pillow at Inuyasha. "Why didn't you just wake me up!.?"

He picked up the pillow from the floor and tossed it back at Kagome. "Stupid! What the hell are you calling me pervert for?.!" He looked away from Kagome, slightly blushing. "I didn't sleep on the bed. I slept sitting on the floor." He explained, his eyes safely averted from hers.

"…" Kagome was speechless for a while. It was a good thing the pillow Inuyasha threw was directed at her face so her face was currently covered and safe from Inuyasha's view. Still not lowering the pillow, she smiled softly. _'He must have had an uncomfortable night then.' _She thought, imagining Inuyasha sleeping while seated on the floor. She couldn't help but feel touched with his simple act. She dropped the pillow on Inuyasha's bed and headed for the door. Before closing it behind her, she stuck her tongue out and said, "I still think it would have been best if you have just woken me up! Silly!"

The door slowly clicked shut after that.

Inuyasha snickered at Kagome's comment. "I also thought that was the best." He said to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. _'But I'm a selfish jerk.'_

x

"Miss Kikyou, there were flowers sent for you."

Kikyou looked up from the book she had been reading and found a pretty elaborate bouquet of white roses on top of her desk. "Thank you." She told her maid. "You may go now."

After the maid had left, Kikyou stood up and examined the bouquet closely. Such a nice arrangement of flowers. The petals were so white. So pure. She received a lot of flowers from colleagues and friends so she wasn't sure who it was this time. Finally, she found a card in between the blooms and opened it.

_White roses look so pure and pretty, don't they? _

_Just like an angel's wings… _

_They suit you very well, Miss Kikyou Hijima._

_Being Solferis' leader, you are like an angel._

_I'll be sure to send you more in your funeral._

_-Hell__'s Gate  
_

_P.S. I hope to meet you soon._

x

x

x

x

x

A/N: Ouch. Yes, I know you all want to kill me for taking so long but please bear with me. At least, it's not a mean cliffhanger, right? Review and tell me all your rants! I'll be glad to hear them out. You can even nag me but moderately, okay? Advanced Merry Christmas to all!


End file.
